The tech world was left reeling after the shocking murder of guru Bob Lee in San Francisco on Tuesday. The Cash App founder, dubbed "Crazy Bob" was found in the residential area of Rincon HIll in the early hours of Tuesday having been attacked.
Bob Lee, 43, was rushed to hospital, but died of his injuries. Police were called to Main Street in the city at around 2.35am where they found the dad-of-two suffering stab wounds.
The tech mogul was on a quick trip to the Californian city, having reportedly returned from Miami for a "quick visit" and staying an extra day, according to friends.
CCTV footage showed Mr Lee walking along an empty San Francisco street in the early hours of the morning, lifting his shirt to show a driver his wounds before they drove away.
Mr Lee was apparently stabbed twice, and pleaded for help, saying: "Help. Someone stabbed me," in footage seen by a local newspaper.
Mr Lee can reportedly be seen on CCTV walking toward the Bay Bridge before falling to the ground outside an apartment building at around 2.30am.
He helped launch the Cash App, which has tens of millions of users across the US and UK, and was chief product officer of San Francisco-based cryptocurrency startup MobileCoin. He was also an investor in SpaceX, Clubhouse and Figma.
Mr Lee had been part of the Bay Area software development community for a long time, having recently moved to Miami.
So what do we know so far?
Pleading bystander for help who then drives off
According to friends, Mr Lee was in San Francisco for a "quick visit", and had decied to stay an extra day. It has been reported that he made the decision to stay and see friends.
Police were called to reports of a stabbing in the 300 block of Main Street on April 4 at around 2.30am, local time. CCTV footage seen by The San Francisco Standard showed Mr Lee walking down a deserted street, apparently looking for help.
Footage, seen by the media outlet but not released to the public, shows Mr Lee stumbling toward a parked car, lifting his shirt to reveal his wound. However, the vehicle drives off and Mr Lee collapses to the ground.
Police came across Mr Lee unconscious with two stab wounds to his chest. They began to administer aid before he was rushed to hospital, according to local reports.
Dad 'happy' to have become 'so close these last years'
In a tribute on Facebook, Mr Lee's father, Rick Lee, said: "I just lost my best friend, my son Bob Lee when he lost his life on the street in San Francisco early Tuesday morning.
"I moved to Mill Valley, CA, with Bob after his mother died in 2019 and we recenty relocated to Miami in Oct 2022.
"Life has been an adventure with two bachelors living together, and I'm 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-judgement 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."
Brother, Tim Oliver Lee, said: "I'm so saddened and disheartened to lose my brother. He really was the best of us.
"I was so fortunate to grow up with him, and I feel like I've lost part of myself. Thank you to everyone who has reached out and offered condolences."
Tributes to a 'force of nature'
Tributes have poured in across social media for Mr Lee, who also held positions at mobile payment app Square and Google. His latest position was at cryptocurrency company MobileCoin, whose CEO Joshua Goldbard shared his own tribute to the tech guru.
He told ABC7: “Bob was a force of nature. Helped to birth Android and Cash App into our world. Moby was his dream, a privacy-protecting wallet for the 21st century. I will miss him every day.”
In a tribute thread posted to the MobileCoin Twitter account, Mr Goldbard said: "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.
"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.
"Bob was made fo the new world, he was the quintessential creator, leader, and consummate hacker.
"From large contributions to Android at Google, to being the first CTO of Square, in that time creating CashApp and working with us here at MobileCoin, Bob surely had an impact that will last far beyond his short time on earth.
"This may sound impressive, but Bob's real resume is the hearts and minds he touched in his time on earth. Bob's legacy is the feeling that you can make a difference if you try, and of course his amazing children."
He continued: "Bob believed in a world where you and I could transact freely with privacy and dignity. We are grateful for and humbled by all he has done for us and to grow MobileCoin's vision.
"Steve Jobs said that "Real Articsts ship" Bob was a real artist who shipped. Again and again and again. And we will keep on shipping, channelling Bob's enthusiasm and spirit."
He closed the thread by saying: "Here's to the crazy ones. We will miss you Bob. We love you.
"For now, MobileCoin will mourn. We turn our attention to honoring Bobs legacy by holding his loved ones close."
Crticisim of San Francisco safety
There has been criticism of the safety of San Francisco following the attack, with some big names jumping into the debate. Among these was founder and CEO of SpaceX, CEO of Tesla and CEO of Twitter, Elon Musk.
Replying to a tweet from former UFC/MMA figthter Jake Shields, talking about the death of his "good friend" Bob Lee and the safety of the area, Mr Musk said: "Many people I know have been severely assaulted.
"Violent crime in SF is horrific and even if attackers are caught, they are often released immediately." He finished the tweet by calling out San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jennings, asking: "Is the city taking stronger action to incarcerate repeat violent offenders?"
Speaking to NewsNation, Mr Shields called the attack another "senseless act of violence in San Francisco."
He went on to say of Mr Lee: "He did comment on San Francisco deteriorating, which is why he had actually just relocated to Miami."
