A tech entrepreneur left San Francisco over fears of rising crime there, his good friend stated, solely to be stabbed to loss of life throughout a return go to to town
Bob Lee, 43, was the chief monetary officer of Sq., the app based by Twitter founder Jack Dorsey, earlier than launching the cellular fee firm Money App. Dorsey was amongst these expressing shock and disappointment at Lee’s homicide.
Lee left San Francisco six months in the past and moved to Miami, however was again within the metropolis on enterprise. He prolonged his journey by in the future, and was murdered.
‘He did touch upon San Francisco deteriorating, which is why he really had simply relocated to Miami,’ stated Jake Shields, a champion UFC fighter who knew Lee properly.
Shields himself took the choice to go away San Francisco after his girlfriend was robbed, and is now based mostly in Las Vegas.
‘So I am not, I am undecided why he is going again there to get slightly enterprise again in San Francisco for a few days.’
Shields instructed NewsNation that Lee had ‘no enemies’. San Francisco police are but to make any arrests.
‘(He was) a superb human being — he added to society, he was a superb particular person, everybody cherished him,’ Shields stated.
‘He was actually revered within the tech neighborhood, by no means talked about his accomplishments, different folks would inform me: ‘oh ya, Bob’s an excellent large deal within the tech trade.’
UFC fighter Jake Shields says his late good friend Bob Lee left San Francisco for Miami over fears about rising crime – solely to be stabbed to loss of life throughout a return journey to the Metropolis by the Bay
‘I would say that is fascinating. He is a superb particular person!’
Shields stated that he and Lee didn’t share the identical political perspective, however loved the trade of opinions.
‘It sucks that one thing occurred to such a superb particular person,’ stated Shields.
‘Typically we would disagree politically, however he is a man who want to focus on and listen to different views.’
Lee, a father of two younger daughters, had moved to Miami in October 2022, and was dwelling along with his father.
Some studies stated his spouse Krista was nonetheless dwelling in San Francisco. Lee’s father referred to him as ‘a bachelor’, nevertheless it was unclear whether or not Lee and his spouse have been nonetheless married.
Shields stated he was a loyal father.
‘He had two daughters that he cherished very a lot,’ stated Shields.
‘You understand, they talked about him extremely.
‘So it is it is extraordinarily unhappy that he is abandoning two daughters to develop up with out their father’
Footage on Wednesday, obtained by The San Francisco Customary, reportedly confirmed Lee’s closing moments.
Within the pictures – which DailyMail.com has not independently verified – Lee could be seen strolling up Most important Road at 2:30am on Tuesday, close to Rincon Park and the Ferry Constructing in a bustling and central a part of town.
He’s clutching his facet with one hand, and holding his cellphone with one other, the paper reported.
Tech government and investor Bob Lee, who helped create Android and Money App, was stabbed to loss of life in San Francisco on Tuesday night time
Lee was stabbed and walked up Most important Road (pictured), with the Bay Bridge behind him, at 2:30am on Tuesday
He requested a driver for assist, however the driver sped off: Lee then collapsed in entrance of this constructing
Authorities confirmed that he was rushed to hospital however died from his accidents within the early hours of Tuesday
Strolling with the Bay Bridge behind him, he crosses the intersection with Harrison Road and approaches a ready white Toyota Camry – that some speculated could possibly be a trip share he known as for assist.
Lee lifts up his shirt to indicate his stab wounds, and the automobile drives away.
Lee then staggers up the hill and collapses in entrance of 403 Most important Road, an house complicated named the Portside.
‘Police responded to the stabbing on Most important Road round 2:35 a.m. to discover a man with stab wounds,’ they stated in a press release.
‘The sufferer was rushed to the hospital the place he died.’
Police have been known as to the 300 block of Most important Road close to the doorway of a high-rise and located the dad-of-two affected by a number of stab wounds
Bob Lee, pictured along with his spouse Krista and two daughters, had determined to remain an additional day in San Francisco on a enterprise journey
Lee, who was dubbed ‘Loopy Bob’ by buddies, was an energetic investor in quite a few firms, comparable to SpaceX, Clubhouse and Figma
However he was again in San Francisco for a enterprise journey, and prolonged it for one night time.
Elon Musk was amongst these commenting on Lee’s homicide, and requested the San Francisco district lawyer, Brooke Jenkins, what she is doing to ‘incarcerate repeated violent offenders’.
Musk stated, in response to a tweet expressing sorrow at Lee’s loss of life: ‘Very sorry to listen to that. Many individuals I do know have been severely assaulted. Violent crime in SF is horrific and even when attackers are caught, they’re usually launched instantly.
‘Is town taking stronger motion to incarcerate repeat violent offenders Brooke Jenkins?’
Twitter and Tesla CEO Elon Musk additionally commented on the horrific incident, asking the San Francisco DA what she is doing to ‘incarcerate repeated violent offenders’
‘I simply misplaced my greatest good friend, my son Bob Lee when he misplaced his life on the road in San Francisco early Tuesday Morning,’ Ricky Lee wrote
Lee’s father Ricky Lee posted on Fb on Wednesday afternoon confirming his loss of life
Lee, who was dubbed ‘Loopy Bob’ by buddies, was an energetic investor in quite a few firms, comparable to SpaceX, Clubhouse and Figma.
Heartbroken buddies and colleagues paid tribute to the tech government, with Joshua Goldbard saying: ‘My coronary heart is damaged tonight’.
He added: ‘Bob was a drive of nature. Helped to delivery Android and CashApp into our world.
‘Moby was his dream: a privacy-protecting pockets for the twenty first Century. I’ll miss him every single day.’
Invoice Barhydt added: ‘Bob was a dad, the previous CTO of Sq. the place he created Money App & CTO of Cell Coin.
‘He was a beneficiant first rate human being who did not need to be killed.’
Dorsey stated: ‘It is actual. Getting calls. Heartbreaking. Bob was instrumental to Sq. and Money App. STL man.’
The founding father of cryptocurrency and funds agency MobileCoin had labored with Lee for 2 years, the place he served as chief product officer since November 2021.
Lee had previously been chief expertise officer at Sq. – which has not too long ago renamed itself to Block – when it had developed and launched Sq. Money in 2013.
Heartbroken buddies and colleagues paid tribute to the tech government, with Joshua Goldbard saying: ‘My coronary heart is damaged tonight’
Since that point, the model has grown into Money App, with tens of thousands and thousands of customers within the US and the UK.
Previous to that, Lee had labored as a software program engineer at Google from 2004 to 2010, the place he helped design the core library for Android.
Up to now this 12 months within the metropolis there have been 39 murders, which is up two from this time final 12 months as a rise in crime is leaving residents nervous.
Democrat Mayor London Breed stated in February she is requesting practically $30 million in extra funding for town’s police drive.
The San Francisco Police Division has encountered rising extra time prices for present officers because the drive is experiencing a scarcity of staff.
Between 2021 and 2022, the division noticed a 121 p.c enhance in whole extra time, in response to KPIX.
SFPD officers have additionally been making focused makes an attempt to handle crime in sure pockets within the metropolis that are vulnerable to incidents.
The San Francisco Police Division is at the moment experiencing a scarcity of 541 officers.
Police are urging anybody with info to come back ahead by calling the SFPD tip-line 415-575-4444.