Cash App Creator Bob Lee Stabbed to Death in San Francisco

Bob Lee, the creator of Cash App and a current executive at the cryptocurrency company MobileCoin, was killed in a stabbing in San Francisco early Tuesday morning, April 4.

The San Francisco Medical Examiner’s Office hasn’t officially confirmed Lee’s identity yet, though friends and family have said he was the victim (per CBS News). Lee’s father, Rick Lee, wrote on Facebook, “I just lost my best friend, my son Bob Lee when he lost his life on the street in San Francisco early Tuesday Morning.”

Rick continued, “Life has been an adventure with two bachelors living together, and I’m so happy that we were able to become so close these last years. Bob would give you the shirt off his back.  He would never look down on anyone and adhered to a strict no-judgment philosophy.  Bobby worked harder than anyone and was the smartest person I have ever known. He will be missed by all those that knew him. Thank you to those who have reached out in support.”

MobileCoin also confirmed Lee’s death (without discussing the cause) in a statement shared Wednesday, April 5. “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,” the company said. 

Its CEO, Joshua Goldbard, added, “Bob was a dynamo, a force of nature. Bob was the genuine article. He was made for the world that is being born right now, he was a child of dreams, and whatever he imagined, no matter how crazy, he made real.”

According to a statement from the San Francisco Police Department, officers responded to a report of a stabbing in the Rincon Hill neighborhood at around 2:35 a.m. Tuesday. Officers found a 43-year-old adult made “suffering from apparent stab wounds. … The victim was transported to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries. Despite efforts by first responders and medical personnel, the victim succumbed to his injuries.”

SFPD is still investigating the stabbing and has yet to name a suspect.

Lee was a well-established tech figure, working in corner offices and investing in companies like SpaceX, Clubhouse, and Figma. He worked at Google before serving as the chief technical officer at Square (now known as Block), the financial services company co-founded by Jack Dorsey. While working at Square, Lee helped create the mobile payment and banking platform Cash App, which launched in 2013. 

Over the next decade, Cash App’s popularity rose steadily, especially as it became a strong force in the online creator economy and a prominent reference point in rap lyrics. Along with a regular churn of sponsorships with the likes of Travis Scott, Megan Thee Stallion, and Cardi B, Cash App even tried launching an initiative to help independent creatives fund their own projects in 2021. 

(The future of that relationship, at least with hip-hop, was recently put in doubt: At the end of March, a new study from the financial research firm, Hindenburg Research, suggested that Block was functioning as a digital hub for fraud and referenced several rap songs to show how popular they believed Cash App has become for illicit transactions. Block shares reportedly dropped 19% after the report was released.)

On the social media platform, Nostr, Dorsey paid tribute to Lee, saying, “It’s real. Getting calls. Heartbreaking. Bob was instrumental to Square and Cash App.”