Tributes pour in for ‘genius’ son of former YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki as his grandmother says he died ‘experimenting with drugs’ and family awaits toxicology
The son of former YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki is being honored as a “math genius” by his grandmother, who believes he died while experimenting with drugs in college.
Freshman Marco Troper, 19, was found dead in his dorm room at the University of California at Berkeley last week, with his family suspecting an accidental overdose.
‘Kids in college, especially freshmen and sophomores, experiment with all kinds of things. I think this was an experiment gone wrong,” grieving grandmother Esther Wojcicki said Palo Alto Daily Mail.
While details of the teenager’s death remain unclear, his grandmother, a journalist and professor, paid tribute to his legacy, saying: “He was everything you could want in a son and a grandson.”
“He was destined to make a difference, it’s heartbreaking,” Esther added to SF Gate.
Freshman Marco Troper, 19, was found dead in his dorm room at the University of California at Berkeley last week, with his family suspecting an accidental overdose
‘Kids in college, especially freshmen and sophomores, experiment with all kinds of things. I think this was an experiment gone wrong,” said his grieving grandmother Esther Wojcicki
Journalist Megyn Kelly also commented on Troper’s death, using it as a warning to others
Journalist Megyn Kelly also commented on Troper’s death, using it as a warning to others.
She wrote on
“Read this article to your children, folks. ONE PILL CAN KILL. God rest this young man.”
Berkeley’s coroner’s office told DailyMail.com on Monday that there is still no cause of death for Troper.
Esther told SFGATE: “He took some medicine and we don’t know what was in it,” she said. “We do know one thing: it was a drug.”
Professor Freedom Cheteni also posted a tribute to Troper on social media, claiming that the young man dreamed of one day curing cancer.
“It is with deep sadness that my most special moonshot, Marco Troper, whose light, leadership and love will never diminish, died unexpectedly,” Cheteni wrote on Facebook.
‘Marco and I have spent the past six years working on his most inspiring idea to cure cancer using nanotechnologies and AI.’
Professor Freedom Cheteni also posted a tribute to Troper on social media, claiming that the young man dreamed of one day curing cancer.
The grandmother also described Troper as an “all-round athlete,” who played a variety of sports including boxing, swimming and tennis. He is seen with his parents Susan and Dennis
The dean of the school Troper attended before college, Gideon Hausner Jewish Day School, also paid tribute to the late teen in a statement to SF Gate.
“He was incredibly intelligent, curious and creative and often appeared at class and community events with a beaming smile and infectious energy,” said principal Than Healy. “He was an avid mathematician and computer scientist and loved tackling challenging problems.”
In a heartbreaking post on social media, Esther confirmed the identity of the student who had just started his second semester of his freshman year.
‘Yesterday a tragedy struck my family. My beloved grandson Marco Troper, 19 years old, passed away yesterday. Our family is devastated beyond words,” the grieving grandmother wrote.
‘Marco’s life was cut too short. And we are all devastated to think of all the opportunities and life experiences he will miss, and that we will miss together,” Esther continued.
UC Berkley said in a statement: “A student living on the Clark Kerr Campus was found unresponsive on 2/13/24 at approximately 4:23 p.m. The Berkeley Fire Department notified the UCPD that they were attempting lifesaving measures on the victim. UCPD responded and the Berkeley Fire Department declared the person deceased.
‘There were no signs of foul play. Next of kin and the Alameda County Coroner’s Office have been notified and an investigation is underway.”
Troper, a freshman at UC Berkeley (pictured), was found unconscious in the Clark Kerr student complex on Tuesday afternoon
The family is awaiting a toxicology report to determine the cause of death, but his grandmother Esther Wojcicki said it appeared to be an accidental drug overdose.
Susan (pictured with husband Dennis Troper) served as Google’s first marketing manager in 1999 and became CEO of YouTube in 2014
Troper studied mathematics and, according to his grandmother, had a strong community of friends from his dorm in Stern Hall and his fraternity Zeta Psi.
“At home he told us endless stories about his life and his friends in Berkeley,” she wrote. ‘
The grandmother also described Troper as an “all-round athlete,” who played a variety of sports including boxing, swimming and tennis.
“He was everything you could want in a son and a grandson. He was destined to make a difference, it’s heartbreaking.’
Before attending UC Berkeley, Troper graduated from Menlo School in Atherton, where he played a leading role in the school’s hackathon and tutored countless students.
Headmaster Than Healy described him in an email as an “avid mathematician and computer scientist.”
“He was incredibly intelligent, curious and creative – often appearing at class and community events with a beaming smile and infectious energy,” Healy wrote.
Troper is also survived by four siblings and his father, Dennis Troper.