The founder of Cash App, MobileCoin CPO Bob Lee, was killed in San Francisco's Rincon Hill: Report

Image Credit: Yahoo According to his current company, cryptocurrency start-up MobileCoin, Bob Lee, founder of Cash App and the former chief technology officer of Square, was the guy fatally stabbed early on Tuesday morning close to downtown San Francisco. A stabbing was reported in the 400 block of Main Street in the city's Rincon Hill district at around 2:35 in the morning. Police claimed they located the victim, who was transported to a hospital where he later passed away due to his injuries. As of Tuesday night, the city's medical examiner's office had not yet released the victim's name, but acquaintances and coworkers of Lee confirmed to KPIX that he was the victim. The death of the 43-year-old Lee, who served as the Chief Product Officer of a cryptocurrency startup based in San Francisco, was officially announced by MobileCoin early on Wednesday morning. Lee moved to Miami in the latter part of last year, but he was in town last week for the MobileCoin leadership summit and was staying an additional few nights to visit pals. Lee and Doug Dalton first became friends when they were both just beginning their careers as software developers. He forged bonds between people. He combined technology," stated Dalton. "He was a wonderful father, always doing the best he could," the speaker said. The night before Lee was killed, according to Dalton, he and several friends got together. He explained that the direction he was walking in was directly toward his accommodation. A security officer at a nearby building said that footage from the area's surveillance cameras showed Lee heading up Main Street after being stabbed. Lee was spotted heading back down Main toward the Portside condominium complex while holding his phone, crossing the street at Harrison, and then fainting fewer than 20 feet from the entrance. Later, he passed away at a hospital. Floral tributes have been left by those who knew him close to the location. Image Credit: ABC7NY Dalton remarked, "I think he had so much more to offer and it's really shocking that this has happened. His father Rick Lee, who had been residing with him, shared a Facebook update on his child. "Living with two bachelors has been an adventure, and I'm so glad that we've been able to get so close these past several years. Bob would offer you the shirt off his back, part of the post stated. He would always treat everyone with respect and uphold a strong no-judgement mindset. Bobby was the sharpest person I've ever known and worked harder than anyone. All those who knew him will miss him. Joshua Goldbard, CEO of MobileCoin, told KPIX that Bob "was a force of nature." "He was instrumental in bringing Android and CashApp into the globe. His vision of Moby was a 21st-century wallet that protected his privacy. Everyday I shall miss him. Goldbard posted a lengthy eulogy to Lee on his Twitter profile and the Moby app website on Wednesday. "Bob was a father, the CTO of Mobile Coin and the former CTO of Square, where he developed the Cash App. He was a kind, generous person who didn't deserve to die, according to Bill Barhydt, the CEO of Abra, in a tweet. A deluge of tributes to Lee were sent on Twitter Tuesday night, many of them using the @crazybob handle. The CEO of Square (now named Block), Jack Dorsey, replied to the news in an early-morning post on the decentralized social media platform Nostr on Wednesday. Heartbreaking, said Dorsey. Bob helped make Square and Cash App possible. Jake Shields, a mixed martial arts athlete, tweeted, "RIP brother," remembering Lee as a "loyal friend." Elon Musk, Twitter's new owner, noticed Shields' remark and responded, saying, "Violent crime in SF is horrific and even if attackers are caught, they are often released immediately." In his tweet, Musk mentioned Brooke Jenkins, the district attorney for San Francisco. Jenkins posted her message on her Twitter account on Wednesday morning. Jenkins expressed her deepest sympathies to Mr. Lee's family and loved ones for their loss. "These heinous acts of violence in San Francisco are not acceptable," Image Credit: NYP In an effort to recover from the pandemic, San Francisco has been battling what appears to be an increase in crime. According to preliminary police figures, there have been 12 homicides in San Francisco so far this year, a 20% increase from the same time last year. San Francisco recorded 56 homicides overall in 2022, matching the number of homicides the city experienced in 2021. "Bob Lee's murder is a terrible tragedy, and my thoughts are with his family and friends. The Police are aggressively looking into what transpired and will provide information as soon as they can, according to a statement from Mayor London Breed. "San Francisco is giving public safety top priority, and we recently passed our budget supplemental so we have the police staffing we need to put additional police officers in our neighborhoods and look into violent crimes when they do happen. I have faith that our District Attorney will take the appropriate steps to ensure that anyone who is arrested by the police in situations like this is held accountable for their conduct. Assuring everyone that "our investigators are working tirelessly to make an arrest and bring justice to Mr. Lee and his loved ones, just as we do on every homicide that occurs in our city," San Francisco police chief Bill Scott issued a statement Wednesday night in which he expressed his condolences to Lee's family. Image Credit: NBC Bay Area The police would not be able to comment on the evidence in the case or make any educated guesses about the circumstances of the crime, he added, because the investigation was still in its early stages. The neighborhood where the fatal stabbing occurred is represented by Supervisor Matt Dorsey, who said, "This is a senseless tragedy that I know is made worse by the fact that no suspect is yet in custody." "I've also heard from many constituents in the area, some of whom have already expressed concerns to me about public safety challenges," the mayor continued. "I'm asking everyone to cooperate with police in their investigation, especially those who have access to surveillance video that may help." Read More: Cash App’s Bob Lee Case: Police Chief in SF issued statement following the tragic stabbing The case has not resulted in an arrest, and San Francisco police have not disclosed any information about the suspects. Call the Police Department's tip line at (415) 575-4444 if you have information on the fatal stabbing, or text TIP411 with the keyword "SFPD" at the beginning of the message.