$L^2$-vanishing theorem and a conjecture of Kollár

In 1995, Koll\'ar conjectured that a complex projective $n$-fold $X$ with generically large fundamental group has Euler characteristic $\chi(X, K_X)\geq 0$. In this paper, we confirm the conjecture assuming $X$ has linear fundamental group, i.e., there exists an almost faithful representation $\pi_1(X)\to {\rm GL}_N(\mathbb{C})$. We deduce the conjecture by proving a stronger $L^2$ vanishing theorem: for the universal cover $\widetilde{X}$ of such $X$, its $L^2$-Dolbeaut cohomology $H_{(2)}^{n,q}(\widetilde{X})=0$ for $q\neq 0$. The main ingredients of the proof are techniques from the linear Shafarevich conjecture along with some analytic methods.