The sad news was confirmed on Thompson’s Instagram account on Tuesday.
YouTube star Grant Thompson has passed away at the age of 38.
The sad news was confirmed on Thompson’s Instagram account on Tuesday, along with a tribute video on his YouTube page.
“It is with great sadness to inform everyone that Grant Thompson passed away last night,” read the post, which featured a photo of Thompson kneeling down and smiling for the camera while wearing a King of Random shirt. “Grant had great love and appreciation for his fans. We invite you to share your thoughts for Grant and the channel in the comments.”
“Please do a random act of love or kindness today in honor of The King of Random,” the caption continued. “Grant’s legacy will live on in the channel and the global community he created.”
According to TMZ, Thompson died following a paragliding accident, with the Washington County Sheriff’s Office in Utah receiving a call on Monday about a paraglider who had been due to return an hour earlier, but had gone off the radar near Sand Hollow State Park.
A Facebook post by the Sheriff’s office appeared to confirm the incident. While it did not name Thompson, the post detailed how the body of a 38-year-old old male had been recovered thanks to GPS coordinates on Monday evening.
Thompson launched his YouTube channel King of Random in 2010 and attracted a following of more than 11 million subscribers with his posts about life hacks and weekend projects.
After the news was posted on social media, some fans refused to believe it was true, with several commenting that Thompson was born in 1976, not 1980, as shown in the photo.
Others shared their grief, with one user praising Thompson’s friendliness and encouragement.
“You were the first YouTube channel I subscribed to and one of the most friendly and encouraging peers I could ask for,” wrote the fan. “You were always super supportive and hanging with you will always be one of my top memories. You’ll be missed.”
Meanwhile, YouTube sent their condolences to Thompson’s family via a Twitter post.
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