Bob Lee was a brilliant American entrepreneur who built tremendous wealth with his talents, creativity, and determination. He tragically died in 2023 due to a fatal stabbing.
Before his recent death, Bob Lee’s net worth was over $730 million thanks to his shares in Cash App, salary at Square, and investments in numerous other ventures.
While the web is filled with stories on how Bob Lee passed, this article will focus on how he lived – and how he accumulated all that money into his net worth.
How Much Was Bob Lee Worth Before His Death?
- Tech Innovator: Bob Lee’s $730 million net worth stemmed from his stakes in Cash App and Square, showcasing his influence in the tech industry.
- Early Career: Lee’s early work at Google and development of Guice and the Android OS contributed to his tech prowess.
- Philanthropy: Lee invested heavily in community projects, enhancing infrastructure and supporting charitable causes.
- Tragic End: His unexpected death in 2023 highlights the impermanence of life, despite his significant technological and philanthropic achievements.
Bob Lee’s Net Worth Breakdown:
Based on all the information online, Bob Lee’s net worth increased tremendously since it was at reported $10 million in 2020.
Since that year, the valuation of Cash App increased by about 25%, along with the stock price of Square Inc, which is now higher by at least 40%.
All data here is estimated based on information found through our research.
According to our findings, Lee’s net worth exceeded $730 million at the time of his demise. Here, we’ll calculate his stake at Square, Cash App, as well as other ventures and liquid assets.
Asset | Contribution to Net Worth |
Stake in Cash App (approx. 1%) | Worth approx. $500 million |
Stake in Square (approx. 0.1%) | Worth approx. $182 million |
Stake inn Clubhouse (approx. 0.01%) | Worth approx. $1 million |
Stake in MobileCoin (approx. 1.5%) | Worth approx. $45 million |
Stake in Figma (approx 0.01%) | Worth approx. $1 million |
Real estate | Over $1 million |
Sale of EchoNest | N/A |
Investments in other companies | N/A |
Total Net Worth | $730 million |
4 Interesting Facts about Bob Lee
- Early Career and Innovations: Lee’s journey from a humble background to a tech mogul showcases his role in key projects like Google’s Android OS and his own startups.
- Philanthropic Efforts: Similar to his tech endeavors, Lee invested heavily in community projects and infrastructure, enhancing his hometown and supporting various charitable causes.
- Tragic and Early Demise: Lee’s unexpected death casts a shadow over his technological and philanthropic achievements, reminding us of the impermanence of life.
- Investment Strategy: His diversified investments across tech companies, real estate, and cryptocurrencies demonstrate a strategic approach to wealth management.
Inside the Bob Lee Murder Trial: Nima Momeni Claims Self-Defense in Fatal Stabbing
Prosecutors allege that Nima Momeni, a tech consultant, fatally stabbed Lee after a tense confrontation involving Momeni’s younger sister, Khazar.
According to the prosecution, Momeni lured Lee to a secluded area in San Francisco, wielding a knife taken from Khazar’s condo. After a violent struggle, Lee was left with three deep stab wounds, including one that pierced his heart.
Surveillance footage and Momeni’s alleged reenactment of the stabbing motions have become key pieces of evidence.
However, Momeni’s defense paints a starkly different picture.
They argue that Lee, allegedly on a days-long drug binge, became aggressive during an encounter with Momeni, forcing him to act in self-defense. Defense attorneys claim Lee pulled a knife first, and that the ensuing struggle left Momeni no choice.
They suggest Lee’s drug use and lack of sleep clouded his judgment, while Momeni acted only to protect himself.
As the trial unfolds, jurors are faced with conflicting narratives – prosecutors aiming to establish a motive linked to Momeni’s protective stance over his sister and defense attorneys insisting that the stabbing was a tragic result of Lee’s unpredictable behavior.
Evidence Points and Surprising Claims:
- Surveillance Video: Security footage reveals a chilling sequence where Lee and Momeni leave Khazar’s luxury apartment in Millennium Tower just after 2 a.m. In Momeni’s car, the two men are seen heading toward a remote spot under the Bay Bridge—moments before Lee’s life was cut short.
- DNA Evidence: Prosecutors presented a knife with Momeni’s DNA on the handle and Lee’s blood on the blade, retrieved from the crime scene. For them, it’s proof of Momeni’s intent to kill, but Momeni’s defense argues it’s part of a desperate act of self-preservation.
- Defense’s Shocking Twist: Momeni’s attorney insists the wounds tell a different story, arguing that Lee was agitated, high on drugs, and the first to pull a knife on Momeni, who only fought back to protect himself. In a surprising twist, they allege that Lee’s behavior was erratic, aggressive, and influenced by days of drug use and little sleep, leaving Momeni no choice.
Family members of both men sat across from each other in a tense courtroom on the trial’s first day, as emotional recordings of Lee’s 911 call filled the room.
The tech world, stunned by Lee’s brutal death, awaits further revelations as the case unfolds, hinting at layers of jealousy, betrayal, and tragedy intertwined in the lives of the two men. The trial is expected to last two months, filled with suspense as both sides prepare to reveal new evidence in a case that has already captivated millions.
Bob Lee’s Early Life
Bob Lee was born on December 20, 1979, in St. Louis, Missouri to father Robert and mother Jeanie Lee. Following his mother’s death in 2019, Lee’s father moved to California to be closer to his family. In 2022, they relocated to Miami. Lee also has a younger brother, Tim Oliver Lee.
Bob Lee studied at Lindbergh High School, where he wrote a 3D rendering engine in Turbo Pascal. He then graduated from the Southeast Missouri State University.
He married Sarah Lee, a former journalist and the president of the Cash App Foundation in 2012. The couple have two children together, Mia and Max Lee.
Bob Lee Net Worth: The Story of the Tech Mogul Bob Lee
Bob Lee had an incredible life and his death put a stop to a career that became more successful with every passing year. Let’s take a closer look at Bob Lee’s career trajectory and how he earned his millions.
Early Beginnings
In 1997, Bob Lee started working at Redrock Communications. He remained there for a year before he started working as a web developer at D’Arcy, as well as the Southeast Missouri State University, where he obtained his degree.
Next, between June of 2000 and August of 2001, he worked at a company called Capgemini. He left this company to join Ajilon Consulting, another company that employed him for a year.
On August 7, 2001, Bob Lee developed and released a free program that defended the Microsoft IIS servers from a rapidly spreading computer worm called Code Red.
Between 2002 and 2003, he freelanced as a consultant for FiveSight Technologies and Plateau.
In 2003, he started working as a technical architect at AT&T, where he developed a framework similar to Java’s Spring Framework, one that was featured in Oracle Magazine. The aspect-oriented programming network was named Dynaop.
Between 2004 and 2010, Bob Lee worked as a staff software engineer at Google. He was part of a team that was developing the Android operating system.
While at Google, Lee developed Guice, a dependency injection framework that he worked on with Kevin Bourrillion. The framework was completed in 2006 with the goal to modularize AdWords.
Two years later, the two partners won the Jolt Award for their development of Guice.
In 2007, Lee transferred to a different team at Google. He started working with the core libraries team and soon after, was assigned to be the team’s leader.
He was part of the group for Java proposals and also worked on an Android process virtual machine called Dalvik.
Square and Cash App
Before his famous work at Cash App, Lee was involved in several other successful ventures.
For instance, in 2007, he founded The Echo Nest, a music streaming service that offered music recommendations to companies like Spotify. Spotify bought his business in 2014, but the amount of the purchase is unknown.
In 2010, Bob Lee decided to leave Google after his successful tenure at the company. He did this to join an ecommerce company called Square, where he worked as the chief technology officer.
In 2022, Square reported a revenue of $13.18 billion. While his exact salary at the company is unknown, he had stocks and earned a lot of his net worth from this business.
While at Square, Bob Lee led the development of the Android and iOS apps for the company. Recognizing his grand talent, Jack Dorsey asked him to work on one of the company’s most profitable projects – Cash App.
In the beginning, Cash App was called Square Cash. Lee developed it as a smartphone-based app for payments and money transfers, as well as investments in cryptocurrencies and stocks. The app went live in 2013.
The cash app founder envisioned his product as a comprehensive platform that offered a wide range of services. That being said, he transformed it over the years to include a variety of features.
Today, unlike banks, Cash App allows users to easily transfer funds to others, make investments online, pay their bills, and much more. Before Bob Lee’s death, the app had over 50 million verified monthly users.
Other Ventures
Bob Lee was the CEO of a social media company named Present. He was the founder of this business. The company relies on location-based technology and exists to this day.
In 2021, Bob Lee started working as the chief product officer at MobileCoin. MobileCoin is a crypto and digital payment startup. The job of the developers was to help create a more secure wallet called Moby.
As of August 2023, MOB, the native cryptocurrency of the company, has a market capitalization of over $300 million. While it’s unknown how much Lee owns in this currency, if any, he’s known to own a share of this company, too.
Lee’s Death
On the morning of April 4, 2023, Lee was stabbed to death in the Rincon Hill neighborhood in San Francisco. The San Francisco police department appeared on the scene at 2:35 AM local time, and he was taken to the hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries. Bob Lee was 43 years old at the time of his death.
>Here is what NBC reported:
The San Francisco Police Department said officers responded to a report of a stabbing at around 2:35 a.m. Tuesday. They found a 43-year-old man with apparent stab wounds, police said.
According to the autopsy report, he had wounds to his lung and heart. On April 13, the police arrested Nima Momeni. The trial is still pending.
What Else Does Bob Lee Invest In?
The highly successful American entrepreneur made many investments in his life. He invested in the infrastructure of San Francisco, various tech companies, cryptocurrencies, as well as real estate.
Infrastructure Investments
Bob Lee is a known investor in San Francisco infrastructure. He invested in many projects, including but not limited to:
- Renovation of the Golden Gate Bridge
- A new arena for the San Francisco Giants
- Science Center in San Francisco
- Scholarship funds for low-income students
Real Estate
The main residence of Lee and his family for many years was their San Francisco home. However, he sold the property months before his death. He bought the residence in 2008 for $2.6 million and sold it in 2023 for $4.43 million. The residence was located in Mill Valley and spread across 4,300 square feet.
While it’s unknown what other properties he owned before his death, it’s mentioned that he, at some point, owned homes in New York and London, too.
Tech Industry Investments
A lot of Lee’s net worth comes from his investment in tech startups. He had invested quite a lot over the years, and his most notable stocks were in Square, CashApp, ClubHouse, Figma, and MobileCoin.
Lee probably had major investments in cryptocurrency too, seeing how he’s worked in the sector for many years. Still, it’s unknown what currencies (alongside MOB) he has invested in.
What Can We Learn From Bob Lee’s Success?
Bob Lee’s life teaches us to keep pushing for our goals. He demonstrated a relentless commitment to technology and innovation. During his very successful career, he dabbled in many ventures, worked for numerous companies, and developed various unique projects.
Lee is proof that, if you are qualified and good at something, you can succeed with effort and hard work.
Furthermore, he proved that investing and helping are important, especially when you have the capabilities and funds to do so. He contributed greatly to good causes, and especially to the infrastructure of his adopted hometown.
Bob Lee’s diversified investments show us the importance of having a well-balanced portfolio. He accumulated stocks in different companies over the years, helping his net worth grow by millions a year.
Finally, Lee’s story is a poignant reminder of how unpredictable and fragile life can be. His tragic passing earlier this year is a stark reminder of the fleeting nature of a person’s life accomplishments. It’s important to cherish every moment in life and, like Bob Lee, to leave a legacy that lasts forever.