Cash App Founder and chief product officer of cryptocurrency company MobileCoin, Bob Lee, was murdered in a San Francisco stabbing that happened at 2:35 a.m. Tuesday on the 300 block of Main Street.
San Fransisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins tweeted that no arrests have been issued and no information about suspects has been submitted yet. “I want to extend my sincerest condolences to Mr. Lee’s family members and loved ones for this loss. We do not tolerate these horrific acts of violence in San Francisco,” she said.
According to Lee’s friends, he was a top guy who had no enemies and would do anything to avoid violence even to the detriment of losing something valuable. He recently moved his family to Miami, including his two young daughters. The news of his death has dealt a huge blow to the tech industry and society at large.
Friends and colleagues of the 43-year-old father and tech executive expressed their dismay at what occurred. “I actually lived right where he was killed, and I used to walk there all the time at night,” Jake Shields, an MMA fighter and Lee’s friend, said. “I gradually began to feel less and less safe. That’s probably why I relocated. I’m currently in Las Vegas.”
“I lived in San Francisco for 20 years,” he continued. “And I feel like you got run out of that city because they’re just, they’re not up-keeping it,” Shields said the two have been good friends for about five years, with plans to meet in Miami as soon as Thursday.
“We were supposed to be hanging out tomorrow night. So that’s a little strange,” he said. “It just happened, so my mind still processing. When you lose someone you’re like, damn, this is not expected. I know he had two daughters as well, whom he loved quite a bit. That adds quite an element of sadness to it.” Shields hopes that Lee is remembered for being a good guy in addition to his high-profile tech resume.
“He was a humble nice guy, you know? Talks about his kids a lot, and his family, just a generally good guy. He’s the kind of guy to give you phone calls and talk about issues and it’s there are not many people like that anymore,” Shields told ABC7 News.
Elon Musk responded to Shields’ tweet about San Francisco’s public safety issues.
“Very sorry to hear that. Many people I know have been severely assaulted. Violent crime in SF is horrific and even if attackers are caught, they are often released immediately,” Musk tweeted. Musk also mentioned Jenkins in the tweet, asking if San Francisco is “taking stronger action to incarcerate repeat violent offenders.”
Beyond Cash App, Bob Lee was a good man
Lee was a father, according to Abra’s CEO adding that “he was a generous decent human being who didn’t deserve to be killed.”
Supervisor Matt Dorsey told reporters, “This is not a city where anybody should fear for their lives at 2:30 in the morning. This is a city that has a vibrant nightlife and we should be safe 24 hours a day.”
“There’s no crime worse than homicide,” he continued. “This is something that is just unacceptable.”
Lee was undeniably a major force in the world of technology. Prior to his current position, he was the CTO of mobile payment app Square and the creator of CashApp. He also worked at Google early in his career.
Lee’s father stated on Facebook: “I just lost my best friend, my son Bob Lee when he lost his life on the street in San Francisco early Tuesday Morning.”
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