If you’ve spent more than five minutes in the Roblox community, you’ve probably seen the rumors. They spread like wildfire on TikTok and YouTube every few months. Someone makes a video with sad music, a black-and-white photo of "Builderman," and a caption saying he’s gone. It gets millions of views, kids start freaking out in the forums, and suddenly everyone is asking: did David Baszucki and Erik Cassel die?
The truth is actually a mix of a very real tragedy and a persistent internet hoax that just won't stay buried.
Honestly, it’s kinda weird how these things take on a life of their own. People get confused because Roblox was built by two guys, and today, you only ever see one of them. There’s a reason for that. One of the founders is very much alive and running a multi-billion dollar empire, while the other passed away over a decade ago, leaving behind a legacy that literally changed how the world plays games.
What Really Happened With David Baszucki?
Let’s get the big one out of the way first. David Baszucki is not dead.
As of 2026, David Baszucki (the man many of you know as "Builderman") is alive, healthy, and still the CEO of Roblox Corporation. He’s 63 years old and basically busier than ever. If you follow the official Roblox social media accounts or watch the Roblox Developers Conference (RDC), you’ll see him popping up all the time to talk about the "metaverse" or new AI tools for creators.
So, why do people keep saying he died?
It usually comes down to "Builderman." For years, every new user who joined Roblox automatically followed the Builderman account. It was the face of the platform. But eventually, David stopped using that specific account for his daily activity. In the world of the internet, if a famous account goes inactive or changes its behavior, people assume the worst.
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Combine that with "death hoaxes" that are designed to farm clicks, and you get a mess. You’ve probably seen those "RIP David Baszucki" posts. They’re fake. Every single one of them. He’s currently living in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife, Jan Ellison, and they’ve actually been doing a lot of cool philanthropic stuff lately, like funding brain research and metabolic health projects.
The Tragedy of Erik Cassel: The Co-Founder We Lost
While the rumors about David are fake, the story of Erik Cassel is different. This is where the confusion usually starts, because one of the original founders did pass away, and it hit the community incredibly hard.
Erik Cassel was the co-founder and Chief Scientist of Roblox. He wasn't just some guy in a suit; he was the technical genius who wrote a lot of the early code that made Roblox work. If you like the way physics work in the game—how blocks fall, how ropes swing—you can thank Erik.
Erik Cassel died on February 11, 2013.
He had been fighting a three-year battle with cancer—specifically glioblastoma, which is a very aggressive type of brain cancer. He was only 45 years old.
When it happened, the Roblox team didn't just put out a corporate press release. They were devastated. David Baszucki wrote a deeply personal blog post about Erik, calling him a "talent beyond talent" and a "true visionary." For those who were around in 2013, the atmosphere on the site was heavy.
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How the Community Honored Erik
The reaction from players was actually pretty beautiful. Instead of just move on, thousands of players gathered in a memorial game. They dressed their avatars to look like Erik’s character—the classic blue shirt and "Well Worn Hat."
Roblox actually renamed that hat to "Erik Cassel’s Hat" in his honor. They also released an official shirt in memory of him. Even now, years later, if you go to his profile (username: erik.cassel), you’ll see he still has the Administrator badge. The company kept it there as a permanent tribute.
Why the Rumors Never Stop
You’d think that after 13 years, the "did they die" questions would stop, but they don't. Why?
- The "Online" Glitches: Every now and then, Erik Cassel’s account shows as "Online." This freaks people out. Usually, it's just his kids using the account or a weird site glitch, but it’s enough to start a new round of "is he back from the dead?" theories.
- Confusing the Two Founders: Younger players often hear "one of the creators of Roblox died" and they automatically assume it’s David Baszucki because he’s the one they see in the news.
- Clickbait Culture: Content creators on platforms like TikTok know that "RIP Builderman" is a magnet for views. They don't care if it's true; they just want the engagement.
Did David Baszucki and Erik Cassel Die? The Quick Breakdown
If you need a simple "cheat sheet" to tell your friends when they show you a fake TikTok, here it is:
- David Baszucki: Alive. He is the CEO. He is active in 2026. He is a billionaire. He is doing fine.
- Erik Cassel: Deceased. He passed away in 2013 from brain cancer. He is remembered as the "co-pilot" of Roblox who built the engine.
The Legacy They Built Together
It’s kinda wild to think about where these two started. Before Roblox, they worked together on a program called "Interactive Physics." It was basically a digital lab for students. They realized that kids weren't just using it to do homework—they were using it to build crazy contraptions and "games."
That’s when the lightbulb went off.
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They moved into a tiny office in Menlo Park and started building "DynaBlocks," which eventually became Roblox. Erik handled the heavy-duty engineering, while David focused on the vision and the business side. Without Erik’s technical foundation, Roblox probably would have crashed and burned years ago.
David has spent the last decade making sure Erik’s name isn't forgotten. At almost every major milestone for the company, Erik is mentioned. When Roblox went public on the New York Stock Exchange in 2021, the history of their partnership was a huge part of the story.
What You Should Know Now
So, next time you see a "Breaking News" post about the Roblox founders, take a breath. Check the source. If it’s a random account with a bunch of emojis and no link to a real news site like the Wall Street Journal or the official Roblox Blog, it’s probably fake.
The best way to honor the legacy of the founders—especially Erik—is to keep creating. That was their whole point. They didn't want to just make a game; they wanted to make a place where you could make games.
How to verify Roblox news yourself:
- Check the Roblox Blog: This is where official announcements live.
- Look at David Baszucki’s X (formerly Twitter) account: He’s very active and posts regularly about the platform.
- Verify the date: Many "death" videos use old footage from 2013 about Erik and try to pass it off as "new" news about David.
Don't let the trolls get you worked up. David is still at the helm, and Erik’s work is still inside every block you place in the game.
To stay truly updated on the platform's leadership and technical changes, you can follow the official Roblox Corporation "Investor Relations" page or the "Roblox Developer" forums, where actual staff members post daily. These are the only places where you'll get the real story without the TikTok drama.