Bob Lee, a technology executive who created Cash App and who was currently a product manager at the MobileCoin firm, was stabbed to death in San Francisco, the cryptocurrency platform and police reported Wednesday.
In a press release, the San Francisco Police Department said its officers responded early Tuesday morning to a report of a stabbing. and found a 43-year-old man who apparently suffered stab wounds. The victim later died in hospital.
Police did not identify the victim, but MobileCoin confirmed Lee’s death Wednesday in response to an Associated Press email.
“Our dear friend and colleague, Bob Lee, passed away yesterday at the age of 43. He is survived by a loving family and several close friends and associates,” MobileCoin CEO Josh Goldbard wrote in a statement.
Lee was “made for the new world,” Goldbard added.
“From his notable contributions to Android at Google, to being the first CTO of Square, to building the Cash App and partnering with us here at MobileCoin, Bob has certainly made an impact that will last well beyond his short time on earth” , he has declared.
Lee originally came to MobileCoin as an investor and advisor before being named product manager and helping launch the Moby app, Goldbard added. Lee was the CTO of digital payments company Square in 2013 when he launched a money transfer app now known as Cash App.
Ron Conway, founder of San Francisco-based investment firm SV Angel, tweeted Wednesday that Lee’s loss represents an immense tragedy.
“My condolences to Bob’s family and the entire tech community,” Conway said. “We have lost a great innovator, intelligence and spirit. We pray that the suspect is arrested quickly.”
The police statement did not provide details about the circumstances surrounding the killing.
“This is an open and active investigation, so we will not be releasing any further information,” public information officer Niccole cchetti said in an email. “We will provide more details when they become available,” he added.
The shock of Elon Musk
Jack Dorsey, the CEO of Square, reacted to the news, describing how “heartbreaking”. “Bob has been instrumental to Square and Cash App.”
Other friends and colleagues from the tech world offered their condolences Wednesday and condemned the crime in San Francisco. Elon Musk, CEO of Twitter, described the level of violent crime in that Northern California city as “horrible.”
“I’m sorry to hear that”, Musk responded to a user about the murder. “Many people I know have been badly attacked. Violent crime in San Francisco is horrific and even if the perpetrators are caught, they are often released immediately.” The tech entrepreneur also tagged the district attorney, Brooke Jenkins, to ask what she was doing to reduce the rates of violence.
San Francisco is facing an apparent crime spike. This year, 12 homicides were recorded, which represents a 20% increase over the previous year. In total, there were 56 homicides in 2022, the same number as in 2021, CNN reported.
Source: Clarin
Mary Ortiz is a seasoned journalist with a passion for world events. As a writer for News Rebeat, she brings a fresh perspective to the latest global happenings and provides in-depth coverage that offers a deeper understanding of the world around us.