SAN FRANCISCO — Bob Lee, the founder of Cash App and former chief technology officer at Square, was fatally stabbed Tuesday near downtown San Francisco, police said.
The San Francisco Police Department said officers responded to a reported stabbing just after 2:30 a.m. Tuesday and found Robert Lee, 43, suffering from apparent stab wounds. He was rushed to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries and later died.
Cryptocurrency startup MobileCoin, where Lee was currently chief product officer, confirmed his death in a statement posted online.
"Our dear friend and colleague, Bob Lee passed away yesterday at the age of 43, survived by a loving family and collection of close friends and collaborators, MobileCoin CEO Josh Goldbard said in the statement. "Bob was a dynamo, a force of nature. Bob was the genuine article."
Goldbard said Lee came to MobileCoin as an early stage investor and advisor, then helped launch the startup's Moby app earlier this year as chief product executive. His earlier contributions to technology included work on Android at Google.
"This may sound impressive, but Bob’s real resume is the hearts and minds he touched in his time here," Goldbard added. "Bob’s legacy is the feeling that you can make a difference if you try. Bob’s legacy is his children."
Police said the attack was being investigated by the department's homicide detail. As of Tuesday evening, no arrest had been made and no suspect details were released.
Social media tributes from friends and fellow technology executives began to appear Tuesday night.
Figma CEO Dylan Field wrote that he was "so sad to hear" of Lee's death: "I first met him in summer 2006 — he didn’t care that I was only 14 and we talked tech / geeked out about programming ... It’s so hard to believe he is gone."
"I just got devastating news that our friend Bob Lee ... was killed in SF early today," Abra Global CEO Bill Barhydt wrote, adding that Lee "was a generous decent human being who didn’t deserve to be killed."