Marco Troper, son of former YouTube CEO, found dead at UC Berkeley: ‘We are all devastated’

Natalie Neysa Alund
 USA TODAY

Marco Troper, the son of YouTube’s former CEO Susan Wojcicki, was found dead in his dorm at the University of California, Berkeley, local officials and the student’s family are reporting.

Esther Wojcicki, an American journalist, confirmed her grandson’s death in a Facebook post after he was reportedly found unresponsive on campus last week.

The school in the city of Berkeley is in Alameda County in San Francisco’s Bay Area.

“Tragedy hit my family yesterday,” Wojcicki, 83, wrote in her social media post. “My beloved grandson Marco Troper, age 19 passed away yesterday. Our family is devastated beyond comprehension.”

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The Alameda County Coroner’s Office confirmed Troper died Feb. 13 and said it was handling his autopsy.

A spokesperson for the office told USA TODAY Trevor’s cause and manner of death were pending Monday.

Troper, who his grandmother said was in his second semester at Berkeley majoring in math, was the son of Susan Wojcicki, who worked for YouTube from 2014 to 2023.

The American-founded online video sharing and social media platform is owned by Google.

Death reported at Clark Kerr residence hall

The University of California Police Department reported a death took place at Berkeley’s Clark Kerr residence hall campus Tuesday and its officers responded to the housing complex at 4:23 p.m.

UC Berkeley spokesperson Janet Gilmore previously told USA TODAY the person who died lived at the student housing complex.

Gilmore said the Berkeley Fire Department responded to the complex and attempted “life-saving measures” on the student, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Foul play is not suspected, Gilmore said, and the student’s death remained under investigation by police on Monday.

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A life ‘cut too short’

Troper’s grandmother, who wrote his life was cut too short, remembered him as a kind, loving, smart, fun and beautiful human being.

Her grandson was thriving academically, she said, and had “a strong community of friends” on campus including his fraternity Zeta Psi.

USA TODAY has reached out to the frat.

“At home, he would tell us endless stories of his life and friends at Berkeley,” Troper’s grandma wrote. “Marco’s life was cut too short. And 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.”

Funeral arrangements were not immediately available on Monday.

Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X @nataliealund.

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