Suspects involved in the killing of respected tech executive and payment app creator Bob Lee, 43, are still at large, police reported.
Lee, who was responsible for the US and UK payment platform, Cash App, was killed in the early hours of Tuesday morning in San Francisco.
‘’Officers arrived on the scene and located a 43-year-old adult male victim suffering from apparent stab wounds. Officers rendered aid, and summoned medics to the scene. 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,’’ the San Francisco Police Department said.
On Thursday morning, it was reported that the perpetrators involved in the incident are still at large.
Lee was a beloved figure in the tech world, having created the popular Cash App while serving as a Senior Executive of Square and Chief Product Officer of San Francisco-based cryptocurrency start-up MobileCoin.
Despite only being available in the US and UK, Lee’s brainchild, Cash App, which allows users to transfer money to another using a mobile phone app, rose to popularity in September 2021, reporting 70 million users, with a gross profit of $1.8 billion.
Lee’s death shocked the tech community, with scores of tech heavyweights heading to Twitter to pay respects to the slain tech executive.
‘’Reacting to news of the incident, the platform’s controversial owner, Elon Musk, said: ‘’Violent crime in SF is horrific, and even if attackers are caught, they are often released immediately. Is the city taking stronger action to incarcerate repeat violent offenders?’’
MobileCoin founder Joshua Goldbard said that Lee ‘’was an incredible human being.’’
‘’Saying Bob’s name in the past tense feels ridiculous. I don’t even know where to begin. A fuller write-up will land tomorrow. For now, I am going to try to close my eyelids. Bob, wherever you are, I love you, and I miss you. I hope I'll see you again at the crossroads, brother,’’ Goldbard said.
Twitter founder and CEO of Block, Square’s parent company, Jack Dorsey, took to social platform Nostr after news of Lee’s death broke.
‘’It’s real. Getting calls. Heartbreaking. Bob was instrumental to Square and Cash App,’’ Dorsey said.
In his earlier years within the tech industry, Lee worked for Android and moved to Square to work on the platform’s Android app, later becoming its Chief Technical Officer before creating Cash App.
Lee also assisted the World Health Organization (WHO) with its mobile app after the Covid-19 pandemic.
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