Cash App founder Bob Lee was fatally stabbed near the San Francisco city center on Tuesday, according to his family. Bob Lee is the former CTO of Square and the current Chief Product Officer of MobileCoin. Bob Lee was 43 years and was found by the police early Tuesday morning in the Rincon area of San Francisco, suffering from apparent stab wounds.
Despite efforts by first responders and medical personnel, Lee succumbed to his injuries. His death has been confirmed by his current employer, MobileCoin’s CEO, Josh Goldbard, who described him as “a dynamo, a force of nature”. San Francisco Mayor London Breed called Lee’s death “a horrible tragedy” and stated that the police are still investigating the incident.
Lee was well-known in the tech world and had played a significant role in the development of Cash App. Jack Dorsey, the CEO of Square (now called Block), responded to the news on Nostr, a decentralized social media app, by saying that Lee was “instrumental to Square and Cash App”. Lee was also responsible for leading the team that launched Android while he was working at Google.
Many people in the tech industry and beyond have expressed their shock and grief at Lee’s death. Figma CEO, Dylan Field, tweeted that it was “so hard to believe he is gone” and tech investor Ryan Gilbert of Launchpad Capital described Lee as “one of a kind”. Even Elon Musk, the new owner of Twitter, chimed in, saying that “violent crime in SF is horrific”. He tagged San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins in his tweet.
Lee’s father, Rick Lee, also confirmed the news in a statement on Facebook, stating that he had “lost his best friend”. He described his son as someone who “would give you the shirt off his back” and “adhered to a strict no-judgment philosophy”.
San Francisco has been grappling with an apparent uptick in crime as it still attempts to bounce back from the pandemic. Preliminary police data reports 12 homicides in San Francisco this year, an uptick of 20% compared to the same time period in the previous year.
MobileCoin, the company where Lee served as Chief Product Officer, issued a statement mourning his passing. In the statement, Josh Goldbard, CEO of MobileCoin, called Lee “a dynamo, a force of nature.” Goldbard said that Lee was “made for the world that is being born right now, he was a child of dreams, and whatever he imagined, no matter how crazy, he made real.”
Lee’s father also confirmed the news in a statement on Facebook, saying that his son had “lost his life on the street in San Francisco early Tuesday.” Rick Lee described his son as someone who “would give you the shirt off his back” and “adhered to a strict no-judgment philosophy.” He added that Bob would be missed by all those who knew him.
San Francisco Mayor London Breed also issued a statement, calling Lee’s death “a horrible tragedy.” She said that the police are still investigating the circumstances of Lee’s death and will be sharing more details soon.
According to the San Francisco Police Department, officers responded to a report of a stabbing early Tuesday morning in the Rincon area of San Francisco. They found “a 43-year-old adult male victim suffering from apparent stab wounds.” Despite efforts by first responders and medical personnel, Lee passed away due to his injuries. The police statement also confirmed that the investigation into Lee’s death is ongoing and that no arrests have been made yet.
San Francisco has seen a rise in crime recently as the city tries to recover from the pandemic. Police data shows that there have been 12 homicides in the city so far this year, which is a 20% increase from the same period last year. In 2022, there were 56 homicides in San Francisco, which is the same number as in 2021.
Many people in the tech industry and beyond expressed their shock and sadness at Lee’s passing. Figma CEO Dylan Field tweeted, “It’s so hard to believe he is gone,” while tech investor Ryan Gilbert called Lee “one of a kind.” MMA fighter Jake Shields remembered Lee as a “loyal friend,” and Elon Musk chimed in, calling the violent crime in San Francisco “horrific.”
Lee was a prominent figure in the tech industry, having served as Square’s first-ever Chief Technology Officer. He was instrumental in launching Cash App and had previously worked at Google, where he helped lead the team that launched Android.
Lee’s passing is a loss to the tech industry and beyond. His contributions to the field will not be forgotten, and he will be missed by many.