Bob Lee Murdered: What We Know

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Bob Lee founded CashApp while affiliated with Square (Block) as Chief Technology Officer. Lee had previously worked as a Google Engineer before joining Square to develop the Android app, originally “Square Cash.” Further irradiating his dossier is the fact that he helped WHO develop its app during the Covid-19 pandemic. He did awesome things in his lifetime, so his death aroused agonizing curiosity. What killed Lee was the very fear he had just escaped. He had relocated to Miami based on the increased crime and was only visiting San Francisco when someone stabbed him.

The Attack

A surveillance video displayed bits of his pre-death struggle. The incident occurred early morning in the San Francisco’s Rincon Hill neighborhood. Following the stabbing, Lee was walking, injured, and bleeding along the street. The footage also showed him seeking help from a Toyota Camry owner by showing him his stab wounds. The person behind the wheel wasn’t helpful, leaving Lee to bleed out in the street.

Reports also revealed that Lee called 911 at 2:34 a.m. screaming, “Help, someone stabbed me!” In a police scanner audio, a dispatcher alerted responding officers, quoting Lee’s SOS. “He’s bleeding out,” she added. Upon arrival, the police found him in excruciating pain, suffering from two fatal wounds to the chest. They rushed him to San Francisco General Hospital, where he sadly passed away.

Bob Lee Succumbs To His Injuries

There are many questions flooding people’s minds about this unfortunate occurrence. People have expressed their condolences despite being paper-blank about the stabbing itself. Josh Goldbard, CEO of MobileCoin, highlighted his memory of Lee while confirming his death. He described him as a “dynamo,” “a force of nature,” and “the genuine article.” Rick Lee, the bereaved father, equally put out his brief eulogy, referring to his son as his “best friend.”

He wrote on Facebook: “Bob would give you the shirt off his back.” He recounted his late son’s touching worldview as adhering to a “strict no-judgment philosophy.” There’s no denying it: Bob Lee was a kind genius. Everyone who knew him personally acknowledged that, emphatically.

Bob Lee Gone: More Reactions

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – APRIL 7: Flowers and cards left as people paying tribute to Bob Lee near the Portside apartment building in San Francisco, California, United States on April 7, 2023. Bob Lee, the American technology entrepreneur who cofounded Cash App, the mobile payment service provider, was stabbed to death in the US city of San Francisco on Wednesday. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

San Francisco Mayor, London Breed, has referred to the painful death as a “horrible tragedy.” She also promised more details from the police following a thorough investigation. Not all could have been as close to the deceased as his father, but he certainly crossed note-worthy paths. “It’s so hard to believe he is gone,” Figma CEO Dylan Field tweeted. He recollected his sweet experience meeting Lee in 2006.

MMA fighter Jake Shields also called Bob Lee a “loyal friend” in a tweet that captured Elon Musk’s attention. “Many people I know have been severely assaulted,” Musk lamented. He went on to qualify crime in San Francisco as “horrific,” further tagging Brooke Jenkins, San Francisco District Attorney. Musk’s comment is congruous with sparked concerns about safety in the Bay Area.

Block phenom, Jack Dorsey, posted on Nostr: “Bob was instrumental to Square and Cash App,” bemoaning the “heartbreaking” death. On the more formal side of the ongoing sympathy, the SFPD chief has remarked on current investigations. He told CBS News that it was too early to determine whether it was a targeted or random attack accurately. He also indicated he was withholding some information due to ethical caution. He was confident his officers would come through on their assurance to solve the homicide.

What Does This Mean For FinTech?

The tragic death of Bob Lee has gone beyond further exposing San Francisco’s crime surge. It has put MobileCoin Inc. in the spotlight. Before the news, the Frisco-based startup was relatively unknown. The last thing MobileCoin needed was sudden attention in addition to mourning one of its best brains. Undoubtedly, the tech world as a universal set is united in grief. We should, however, be concerned about the subsequent stand of the private-crypto trend. Will Bob Lee’s successor be able to follow in his mature and anodyne footsteps? We might not know it yet, but the deceased tech giant could have been FinTech’s shield card.

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