Cash App founder death - latest: Bystanders reportedly failed to help tech mogul after San Francisco stabbing
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Cash App founder Bob Lee has been stabbed to death in a random mugging early in the morning in San Francisco.
Bystanders reportedly failed to help the tech mogul as he looked for help while mortally wounded in the city’s downtown, according to The San Francisco Standard.
Friends and colleagues confirmed the death of Mr Lee, who is reported to have died early on Tuesday.
He was discovered at 2.35am outside a luxury residential building on the 300 block of Main St, near Rincon Hill and the Bay Bridge.
The San Franciso Police Department said, “Officers arrived on scene and located 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,” the SFPD added.
No arrests have been made in the case, which is being investigated by the SFPD Homicide Detail.
Mr Lee founded the Cash App and then became chief technology officer at the payment company Block. When he died, he was the chief product officer at MobileCoin, a crypto payment firm.
Key Points
‘Heartbreaking’: Jack Dorsey responds to death of Bob Lee
MobileCoin CEO issues statement after passing of Bob Lee
‘Many people I know have been severely assaulted,’ Musk says
San Francsico Police statement in full
Cash App creator stabbed to death in San Francisco
San Francisco supervisor asks public for help after stabbing of tech mogul
21:30 , Gustaf Kilander
Matt Dorsey, a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, tweeted on Wednesday that “this is a senseless tragedy that I know is made worse by the fact that no suspect is yet in custody”.
“Since receiving preliminary reports on this homicide early yesterday morning, I’ve been in contact with @SFPD about their investigation,” he added. “I’ve committed my team to do whatever we can to be helpful, but we’ll obvious defer to @SFPD on what they’re willing to report publicly.”
“I’ve also heard from many constituents in the area — some of whom have already voiced concerns to me about public safety challenges — and I’m asking everyone to cooperate with police in their investigation, especially those with access to surveillance video that may help,” he wrote in a Twitter thread.
Figma CEO speaks out after stabbing death of Bob Lee
21:00 , Gustaf Kilander
Dylan Field, the CEO of Figma, tweeted early on Wednesday: “So sad to hear of @crazybob’s untimely passing. I first met him in summer 2006 — he didn’t care that I was only 14 and we talked tech / geeked out about programming. We remained connected over the years and he was an early supporter of Figma. It’s so hard to believe he is gone.”
Everything we know about the murder of Cash App founder Bob Lee in San Francisco
20:30 , Bevan Hurley
High-profile tech entrepreneur Bob Lee was stabbed to death outside an apartment building in San Francisco early on Tuesday morning, grieving friends and family have confirmed.
The 43-year-old was found at 2.35am outside a luxury high rise apartment on the 300 block of Main St, near Rincon Hill and the Bay Bridge, with life-threatening stab wounds, the San Francisco Police Department said in a statement.
The tech executive was treated at the scene by first responders before being rushed to hospital where he died from his injuries, police said. No arrests have been made.
Here’s what we know so far about the murder:
Everything we know about the murder of Cash App founder Bob Lee
‘I just lost my best friend’: Father and brother share their thoughts after Bob Lee stabbing
20:00 , Gustaf Kilander
Mr Lee’s father, Rick Lee, shared his thoughts on Facebook following the passing of his son.
“I just lost my best friend, my son Bob Lee when he lost his life on the street in San Francisco early Tuesday Morning. I moved to Mill Valley, CA with Bob after his mother died in 2019 and we recently relocated to Miami in Oct 2022,” he wrote on Wednesday morning.
“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,” he added. “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.”
Mr Lee’s brother, Tim Oliver Lee, wrote on Facebook that he was “so saddened and disheartened to lose my brother. He really was the best of us. I was so fortunate to grow up with him, and I feel like I’ve lost part of myself”.
San Francisco District Attorney speaks out after facing heavy criticism following tech mogul’s death
19:30 , Gustaf Kilander
The San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins took to Twitter on Wednesday to share her outrage at the killing of Mr Lee.
“I want to extend my sincerest condolences to Mr. Lee’s family members & loved ones for his loss,” she wrote. “We do not tolerate these horrific acts of violence in San Francisco. At this time no arrests have been made. Anyone w/ information is asked to call @SFPD Tip Line at 1-415-575-4444.”
Friend and colleague says Lee’s ‘brain moved at an unbelievable velocity'
19:00 , Gustaf Kilander
Mr Lee was the chief product officer at MobileCoin, a crypto payment firm, at the time of his death.
The company’s CEO, Josh Goldbard, took to Twitter to share his thoughts following Mr Lee’s passing.
“.@crazybob was an incredible human being. Saying bob’s name in the past tense feels ridiculous. I don’t even know where to begin,” he wrote. “Bob was like a brother to me. He came into my life like a fever dream and helped build @moby_app. He was a founder again. Moby was his dream, his vision. Bob believed that we have a right to privacy in the 21st century. That belief is Moby.”
“The thing is, Bob was so much more than a technologist. Bob was an artist. Everywhere he went Bob breathed love into this world. He had so much deep heartfelt love. Traveling with Bob was like seeing the world for the first time,” he added. “Bob’s energy was infectious. He made friends everywhere he went. One of the things that made him truly special was his capacity to dream big and to summon those big crazy dreams into our world. Bob summoned the future into the present.”
“Bob was brilliant. [His] mind was kaleidoscopic. Pick a topic and Bob would be right there with you telling you all of the ways he had thought about the idea already. It was a delight. His brain moved at an unbelievable velocity,” he wrote in the Twitter thread. “I will never forget Bob. There will never be anyone quite like him. As a lifelong Bay Area resident I have more questions than answers tonight. I don’t know how to fix what’s wrong, but I know something isn’t working in our grey city. Bob left this world too soon.”
“Bob, wherever you are, I love you and I miss you. I hope I’ll see you again at the crossroads brother,” he concluded.
Private jet company leader says Lee ‘taught me I had another gear when I wanted to go home to bed at midnight'
18:30 , Gustaf Kilander
Tommy Sowers, the president of flyExclusive, wrote on LinkedIn on Wednesday that he was “waking to the news of the tragic murder of Bob Lee, one of my best friends—anger, loss, and sadness”.
“At my age, I so value my old friends, the rare people that share a mutual respect for the other’s alternate life lived fully, an enduring presence through all the twists, turns and different phases,” he wrote. “Over the past 14 years, Bob brought me into his love of building tech, unlocked San Francisco a city he loved, and taught me I had another gear when I wanted to go home to bed at midnight (although Bob had multiple more gears).”
“I taught him healthy home cooking, wine, and early morning workouts. We shared adventures roaming around the Yucatan and Italy and the simple loving of each other’s families and our time together. He will be so missed by me, his kids, my family and so many others that were lucky to know him. Love you buddy,” he concluded.
Elon Musk says many of his San Francisco friends have been ‘severely assaulted’ after Cash App founder’s murder
18:00 , Bevan Hurley
Elon Musk claimed many of his San Francisco friends have been “severely assaulted” after Cash App founder Bob Lee was stabbed to death in the city on Tuesday.
The Twitter CEO offered his condolences to the 43-year-old’s grieving friends and called on San Francisco district attorney Brooke Jenkins to take tougher action against violent criminals.
“Many people I know have been severely assaulted,’ Mr Musk tweeted. “Violent crime in SF is horrific and even if attackers are caught, they are often released immediately. Is the city taking stronger action to incarcerate repeat violent offenders Brooke Jenkins?”
Mr Lee was found with fatal knife wounds outside a luxury apartment complex at 300 Main St, between Soma and the Financial District, at 2.35am on Tuesday.
Read more:
Musk says many of his San Francisco friends have been ‘severely assaulted’
VIDEO: Former Square tech executive stabbed and killed in San Francisco
17:45 , The Independent
Tech CEO says Bob Lee was a ‘generous decent human being who didn’t deserve to be killed'
17:30 , Gustaf Kilander
Bill Bardhydt, the co-founder and CEO of the payments app Abra, tweeted on Tuesday night that “I just got devastating news that our friend Bob Lee (@crazybob ) was killed in SF early today”.
“Bob was a dad, the former CTO of Square where he created Cash App & CTO of Mobile Coin. He was a generous decent human being who didn’t deserve to be killed,” he added.
Investment firm co-founder says San Francisco leaders ‘have Bob’s literal blood on their hands'
17:15 , Gustaf Kilander
Matt Ocko, the co-founder of the investment firm DCVC, tweeted that “Bob Lee was a friend to me & multiple people in my firm. My heart goes out to his loved ones”.
He then went on to blame San Francisco leaders for the death of Mr Lee.
“Chesa Boudin, & the criminal-loving city council that enabled him & a lawless SF for years, have Bob’s literal blood on their hands. Take action,” he added.
Mr Boudin was the San Francisco District Attorney until July of last year.
Former MMA fighter says death of ‘loyal friend’ will ‘hopefully’ bring attention to violent crime
17:00 , Gustaf Kilander
Former MMA fighter Jake Shields tweeted on Tuesday that he “just found out my good friend was killed last night while walking him in San Francisco. He was in the ‘good’ part of the city and appeared to have been targeted in a random mugging/attack. F*** San Francisco”.
He called Mr Lee “a loyal friend” and said that he was “an extremely high profile tech guy so hopefully this will at least bring attention to these problems”.
‘Heartbreaking’: Jack Dorsey responds to death of Bob Lee
16:45 , Bevan Hurley
Mr Lee founded the Cash App before becoming chief technology officer at the Jack Dorsey-led payment giant Square, which was renamed Block.
He was the chief product officer at crypto payment firm MobileCoin at the time of his death.
“It’s real,” Mr Dorsey wrote on his social network Nostr. “Getting calls. Heartbreaking. Bob was instrumental to Square and Cash App. STL guy.”
MobileCoin CEO Joshua Goldbard told ABC7 News his slain colleague and friend was a “force of nature”.
“Moby was his dream: a privacy protecting wallet for the 21st Century. I will miss him every day,” said Mr Goldbard.
MobileCoin CEO issues statement after passing of Bob Lee
16:30 , Gustaf Kilander
Mr Lee was the chief product officer at MobileCoin, a crypto payment firm, at the time of his death.
The company’s CEO, Josh Goldbard, issued a statement paying tribute to his friend and colleague.
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.
Bob was a dynamo, a force of nature. Bob was the genuine article.
Crazy Bob got his nickname from water polo, but in a way, it worked for the rest of his life too. He was a person who understood the world in ways I don’t even understand myself.
He was made for the world that is being born right now. Bob was a child of dreams, and whatever he imagined, no matter how crazy, he made real. Bob was made for the new world.
He was the quintessential creator, leader, and consummate hacker. From large contributions to Android at Google, to being the first CTO of Square, in that time creating CashApp, and working with us here at Mobilecoin, Bob surely had an impact that will last far beyond his short time on earth. This may sound impressive, but Bob’s real resume is the hearts and minds he touched in his time here. Bob’s legacy is the feeling that you can make a difference if you try. Bob’s legacy is his children.
Bob first came to MobileCoin as an early-stage investor and advisor because he believed in the vision of privacy in commerce. He became our Chief Product Officer and helped launch Moby delivering to the world a best-in-class, non-custodial wallet to support the goal of private payments for all. Crypto never saw anything like this before – Moby broke ground and continues to do so.
Bob believed in the dignity of privacy. He wanted a world where you and I could transact free from the prying eyes of predatory corporations and criminals. We are grateful for and humbled by all he has done for us and to grow MobileCoin’s vision.
Steve Jobs said that “Real Artists ship.” Bob was a real artist who shipped. He was proud to work amongst our guild of cryptographic artists at MobileCoin.
Here’s to the crazy ones. We will miss you Bob. We love you.
For now, MobileCoin will mourn. We turn our attention to honoring Bob’s legacy by holding his loved ones close.
Josh Goldbard, CEO, MobileCoin
‘Many people I know have been severely assaulted,’ Musk says
16:20 , Gustaf Kilander
Responding to former MMA fighter Jake Shields’s reaction to the death of Mr Lee, Elon Musk wrote that he was “very sorry to hear that”.
“Many people I know have been severely assaulted,” he added. “Violent crime in SF is horrific and even if attackers are caught, they are often released immediately.”
“Is the city taking stronger action to incarcerate repeat violent offenders @BrookeJenkinsSF?” he asked, tagging the San Francisco District Attorney.
San Francsico Police statement in full
16:10 , Gustaf Kilander
The San Francisco Police shared a statement regarding the death of Mr Lee at 6.45pm on Tuesday.
Here is the statement in full:
On April 4, 2023, at approximately 2:35 a.m., San Francisco Police officers from Southern Station responded to the 300 block of Main Street for a report of a stabbing. Officers arrived on scene and located 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.
This incident is being investigated by the SFPD Homicide Detail.
No arrests have been made and this remains an active investigation. Anyone with information is asked to call the SFPD 24-hour Tip Line at 1-415-575-4444 or Text a Tip to TIP411 and begin the text message with SFPD. You may remain anonymous.
San Francsico Police Department
Cash App creator stabbed to death in San Francisco, report says
16:02 , Bevan Hurley
Cash App founder Bob Lee was stabbed to death in San Francisco in an apparent random mugging early on Tuesday morning, friends and colleagues have confirmed.
Mr Lee was found at 2.35am outside a luxury high rise apartment on the 300 block of Main St, near Rincon Hill and the Bay Bridge, with life-threatening stab wounds, the San Francisco Police Department said in a statement.
The 43-year-old tech executive was treated at the scene by first responders before being rushed to hospital where he died from his injuries, police said. No arrests have been made.
Read more:
Cash App creator stabbed to death in San Francisco, report says
Tech titans Elon Musk and Jack Dorsey react after Cash App founder’s murder in San Francisco
21:21 , Bevan Hurley
Elon Musk claimed many of his San Francisco friends have been “severely assaulted” after Cash App founder Bob Lee was stabbed to death in the city on Tuesday.
The Twitter CEO offered his condolences to the 43-year-old’s grieving friends and called on San Francisco district attorney Brooke Jenkins to take tougher action against violent criminals.
“Many people I know have been severely assaulted,’ Mr Musk tweeted. “Violent crime in SF is horrific and even if attackers are caught, they are often released immediately. Is the city taking stronger action to incarcerate repeat violent offenders Brooke Jenkins?”
Mr Lee was found with fatal knife wounds outside a luxury apartment complex at 300 Main St, between Soma and the Financial District, at 2.35am on Tuesday.
Read more:
Musk says many of his San Francisco friends have been ‘severely assaulted’
