A 19-year-old male student was discovered dead Tuesday at UC Berkeley’s Clark Kerr Campus, SF Gate reported.
Marco Troper, the son of former YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki, was found dead in the residential hall complex of the campus, according to SF Gate. While the results of a toxicology report are pending, Troper’s grandmother, Esther Wojcicki, shared her suspicions with the outlet that Marco’s untimely death was due to a possible overdose, though the specifics of the substances involved remain unclear. “He ingested a drug, and we don’t know what was in it,” she said. “One thing we do know, it was a drug.”
Former YouTube CEO’s son is UC Berkeley student who died, grandma says https://t.co/BoIBCVcyN9
— KTVU (@KTVU) February 17, 2024
Troper was discovered unresponsive in his dorm room, KTVU reported. Efforts by the Berkeley Fire Department to revive him proved futile, and he was pronounced dead at the scene, campus spokesperson Janet Gilmore confirmed. (RELATED: Police Open Investigation After 10 Suspected Student Opioid Overdoses In One High School)
Esther, an influential figure in Silicon Valley and the founder of the Media Arts Program at Palo Alto High School, expressed her grief through a social media post.
“Tragedy hit my family yesterday. My beloved grandson Marco Troper, age 19 passed away yesterday. Our family is devastated beyond comprehension,” she wrote. “Marco was the most kind, loving, smart, fun and beautiful human being. He was just getting starting on his second semester of his freshman year at UC Berkeley majoring in math and was truly loving it.”
“We are all devastated, thinking about all the opportunities and life experiences that he will miss and we will miss together. Marco, we all love you and miss you more than you will ever know,” the grandmother continued.
Troper’s mother’s sister is Anne Wojcicki, co-founder and CEO of genetic testing company 23andMe.