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The founder of the popular mobile app Cash App, Bob Lee, was murdered in a fatal stabbing on a street in San Francisco.
According to reports, law enforcement responded to an incident in the downtown Rincon Hill neighborhood at 2:35 a.m. early Wednesday morning (April 5). The victim, later identified as Bob Lee, was taken to a hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. The cryptocurrency startup, MobileCoin, where Lee served as the chief product officer, announced his death in a tweet later that day.
His father, Rick Lee, later posted an emotional tribute through his Facebook account. “Life has been an adventure with two bachelors living together, and I’m so happy that we were able to become so close these last years. Bob would give you the shirt off his back,” the post read. “He would never look down on anyone and adhered to a strict no-judgment philosophy. Bobby worked harder than anyone and was the smartest person I have ever known. He will be missed by all those that knew him.” The two had recently relocated to Miami from outside of San Francisco last October.
According to his LinkedIn profile, the 43-year-old was responsible for the creation of the popular financial app as well as serving as the chief technical officer of Square (now Block). Lee also lent his expertise to the development of Android software and invested in SpaceX, Clubhouse, Tile and other tech companies. Jack Dorsey, the former Twitter CEO who is now Block’s CEO, reacted to the news on social media as “Heartbreaking,” before continuing: “Bob was instrumental to Square and Cash App.”
Lee apparently was in town for a leadership summit held by MobileCoin and had met up with longtime friends on the night of his death. Local reporting details that surveillance cameras captured the moments after he was attacked. San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott sent out his condolences via Twitter and also stated that police couldn’t comment on details of the crime as investigations had just begun.
The incident has added to the growing concerns raised about the rate of crime in San Francisco as the city is moving out of the COVID-19 pandemic. Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of Twitter, wrote on the platform in regard to Lee’s death that “Violent crime in SF is horrific and even if attackers are caught, they are often released immediately.” Preliminary data released by the police show an uptick in homicides this year as compared to 2021.
