Bob Lee, creator of Cash App and a tech executive at MobileCoin, was killed early Tuesday morning after he was stabbed in San Francisco, according to friends, his company and police.
San Francisco police say they were called to the scene of a stabbing around 2:35 a.m. on Tuesday, where they found a 43-year-old male victim with stab wounds. He was taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries and ultimately died.
Authorities are now investigating the case as a homicide.
MobileCoin told CBS News and others that Lee was the victim in that stabbing.
"Bob was a dynamo, a force of nature," MobileCoin CEO Josh Goldbard told CBS. "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."
\u201c1/ Thread \ud83e\uddf5 \n\n.@crazybob was an incredible human being. Saying bob\u2019s name in the past tense feels ridiculous. \n\nI don\u2019t even know where to begin.\u201d— Joshua Goldbard (@Joshua Goldbard) 1680691400
Lee's dad, Rick Lee, mourned the loss of his "best friend" in a post on Facebook Wednesday.
"He lost his life on the street in San Francisco," the elder Lee wrote.
"Bob would give you the shirt off his back," he added. "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."
Bob's brother, Tim Oliver Lee, wrote on Facebook that he is "saddened and disheartened" by the news.
"He really was the best of us," he wrote. "I was so fortunate to grow up with him, and I feel like I've lost part of myself."
\u201cWas scheduled to work on @mobilecoin with you tomorrow AM @crazybob. You always believed in me, I\u2019ll be forever grateful. \n\nCommitted to seeing this project for as long as the Team will have me, to the very end.\u201d— Kyle Zink (@Kyle Zink) 1680668858
Lee was a major figure in the crypto and mobile payments industry. He founded Cash App and worked as the chief technology officer at Square for a time before joining MobileCoin as their chief product officer. He also previously worked for Google and AT&T.
San Francisco DA Brooke Jenkins joined others in mourning Lee and offering condolences to his family.
"We do not tolerate these horrific acts of violence in San Francisco," she tweeted on Wednesday morning. Jenkins added that no arrests have been made, and anyone with information is asked to contact police.
The circumstances of the stabbing were not immediately released, and the investigation is ongoing.