Two days ago, Bob Lee, the founder of the multibillion-dollar tech company CashApp was fatally stabbed in downtown San Francisco. Media reports indicate that the 43-year-old founder of CashApp was found by law enforcement with multiple stab wounds, but despite immediate transfer to a hospital, he died from his injuries.
Rick Lee’s death was announced by his father, Rick Lee, who was once also a chief technology officer at Square, a company founded by the developer of Twitter, Jack Dorsey.
For the past two years, San Francisco has been beset by a significant increase in violent crimes committed mainly by young people and homeless individuals. The violent crimes have ranged from shoplifting, carjackings, assaults, and murders across the city.
Officers from the San Francisco police department responded immediately to reports of a stabbing on Tuesday at around 02.35 local time. By the time police arrived, Bob Lee was unconscious on the ground with two large stab wounds to his chest. First aid was offered by the police before rushing him to San Francisco General Hospital.
Said his father on a Facebook post, “I just lost my best friend, my son Bob Lee when he lost his life on the street in San Francisco early Tuesday morning. Thank you to those who have reached out in support.”
Lee’s brother Tim Oliver also posted on Facebook, “He really was the best of us. I was so fortunate to grow up with him, and I feel like I’ve lost part of myself.”
The Mayor of San Francisco, London Breed, said in a brief statement to ABC News that Lee’s death is a horrible tragedy. “My sympathies go out to his family and friends,” Breed added, “The police are actively investigating what happened and will share details as soon as they can.”
At the time of his death, Bob Lee was the chief product officer of MobileCoin, a relatively new cryptocurrency company.
Bill Barhydt, CEO of Abra, another cryptocurrency company, said on Twitter, “He was a generous decent human being who didn’t deserve to be killed.”
CashApp is a smartphone-based payment app that permits person-to-person transfer of money and, according to Forbes, is worth at least $40 billion. Since its launch a decade ago, CashApp has become globally popular, with nearly 30 million active users.
Mr. Lee’s death has again renewed criticism of how San Francisco is managing crime; the city has adopted liberal policies which often does not incarcerate even violent and repeat offenders.
Elon Musk, Twitter CEO and Tesla developer said in response to the crime in San Francisco, “Violent crime in [San Francisco] is horrific, and even if attackers are caught, they are often released immediately.”
Recent data from the Hoover Institute reveal that citizens of the city have a 1 in 16 chance each year of being a victim of violent or property crime, making the city far more dangerous than 98% of other US cities of the same size.
One particular issue that has gripped San Francisco has been the gradual rise in homicides over the past two years. In 2021 and 2022, there were 56 homicides, and already the city has 12 homicides this year.
So far, San Francisco police have not identified any suspect in the killing of Lee, but the investigation is still early.
Lee is survived by his wife, Krista, and their two children.
