Bob Lee, creator of the popular mobile payment service Cash App, was stabbed and killed in downtown San Francisco early Tuesday morning, as first reported by KNTV.
The fatal stabbing occurred at 2:35 a.m. at the 300 block of Main Street, in The City’s Rincon Point neighborhood, police said in a release. Officers found a 43-year-old man, later identified by the San Francisco Police Department as Lee, suffering from stab wounds. He was transported to a local hospital where he died from his injuries.
No arrests have been made as of Wednesday, and police did not release any information about a possible suspect.
SFPD Chief Bill Scott released a statement Wednesday night offering condolences to Lee's family and loved ones.
"There is no place for this kind of violent crime against anyone in our city," Scott said. "I want to assure everyone that our investigators are working tirelessly to make an arrest and bring justice to Mr. Lee and his loved ones, just as we try to do on every homicide that occurs in our city."
Scott added that, due to the ongoing investigation into Lee's death, the department would not comment on evidence related to the crime, "nor will [the department] speculate on the circumstances."
Prior to his death, Lee had been the chief product officer for MobileCoin, a cryptocurrency startup, since 2021. According to his MobileCoin bio, Lee had “diverse experience building both digital and physical products for a mobile-first world.”
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In addition to being one of the co-founders of Cash App, he was most well known for being the chief technology officer for Square, another major online payment platform. He also worked at Google from 2004 to 2010, helping launch their Android operating system, founded the social network Present and “applied his expertise to the COVID-19 pandemic, from assisting the WHO with their mobile app to leading development for an at-home testing company.”
According to his LinkedIn profile, he was an investor in SpaceX, Clubhouse, Tile, Figma, Faire, Orchid, Addressable, Nana, Ticket Fairy, Gowalla, Asha, SiPhox, Netswitch and Found.
“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,” MobileCoin CEO Joshua Goldbard said in a lengthy statement on Wednesday. “Bob was a dynamo, a force of nature. Bob was the genuine article.”
“He was the quintessential creator, leader, and consummate hacker,” Goldbard said. “From large contributions to Android at Google, to being the first CTO of Square, in that time creating Cash App, 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.”
San Francisco Supervisor Matt Dorsey, who represents the district where Lee was killed, tweeted that he’s been in contact with police since the homicide was reported Tuesday morning, and his team is “committed to do whatever we can to be helpful.”
“My heart goes out to Mr. Lee’s family members, friends and loved ones. This is a senseless tragedy that I know is made worse by the fact that no suspect is yet in custody,” Dorsey wrote. He also acknowledged that he’s heard from many constituents in the area, “some of whom have already voiced concerns to me about public safety challenges.”
