Bob Lee, the 43-year-old Founder of Cash App, has died after he was stabbed on Tuesday morning in San Francisco, CNN reports. Until his death, the tech executive was the pioneer Chief Product Officer of MobileCoin, a decentralized payment platform.
Rick Lee, Bob’s father, confirmed the tech founder’s death in a Facebook post published on Wednesday. “I just lost my best friend, my son Bob Lee, when he lost his life on the street in San Francisco early Tuesday Morning,” Lee wrote.
Josh Goldbard, the CEO of MobileCoin, confirmed the entrepreneur’s death in a statement shared with CNN on Wednesday morning. “Our dear friend and colleague, Bob Lee, passed away yesterday at the age of 43, survived by a loving family and collection of close friends and collaborators,” Goldbard said.
CBS News reported that Lee lived in Miami, Florida, but was in San Fransico on a short stay to attend a leadership summit and see some friends. Previously, Lee was the Chief Technology Officer of the payments platform, Square, which is now called Block, Inc.
How Bob Lee Died
According to surveillance footage seen by a local news outlet, The San Francisco Standard, Lee was seen on Tuesday morning in the Rincon Hill neighborhood in San Franciso. The outlet reported that the entrepreneur was found around 2:30 am stabbed and walking up Main Street “gripping his side with one hand and his cellphone in the other, leaving a trail of blood behind him.”
The Cash App Founder, according to the footage, screamed for help, saying that “Someone stabbed me” on a 911 call made around 2:34 am. He was said to have approached a vehicle, lifting his shirt to seemingly ask for help but fell to the ground after the car owner drove away. Lee was found unconscious on the floor by the police after he repeatedly dialled 911, screaming for help, The Standard said.
Police Reported "Apparent Stab Wounds"
In a statement released on Tuesday, the San Franciso Police Department (SFPD) said it reported to Main Street after receiving alarms of a stabbing attack. The police said it arrived at the scene to find “a 43-year-old adult male victim suffering from apparent stab wounds.”
“Officers rendered aid and summoned medics to the scene. The victim was transported to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries. Despite efforts by first responders and medical personnel, the victim succumbed to his injuries,” SFPD explained, noting that it was investigating the incident.
Condolence Trails Lee's Death
Following the news, the tech community in the United States expressed their sadness at the incident. Reacting to the news, Jack Dorsey, the Founder of Twitter and CEO of Square, described Lee’s death as “heart-breaking." Dorsey wrote on the social media site, Nostr, that that the executive “was instrumental to Square and Cash App.”
Also reacting to the news, Garry Tan, the President and CEO of Y Combinator, described Lee’s death as “a tragedy and huge loss for the tech community and for San Francisco.” Tan added: “We must remember his life and works.”
Reacting to a tweet made by Jake Shields, a former Ultimate Fighting Championship fighter who wrote that he had just found out that Lee was killed, Elon Musk, Tesla CEO and Twitter’s new owner, noted that he was “very sorry to hear that." Mush commented that violent crime in San Francisco is “horrific.”
Additionally, Brookie Jenkins, a San Francisco District Attorney, in a Twitter post extended her condolences to "Mr Lee’s family members & loved ones for his loss." Jenkins noted that: "we do not tolerate these horrific acts of violence in San Francisco."
