Tech entrepreneur convicted in murder of Cash App founder Bob Lee

What just happened? A San Francisco jury has convicted entrepreneur Nima Momeni of second-degree murder for the fatal stabbing of Bob Lee, the founder of the hugely popular Cash App, in April last year. The guilty verdict, which came after seven days of intense deliberations, means Momeni faces 15 years to life in prison.

The six-week trial unveiled details surrounding the grisly night in San Francisco’s Rincon Hill neighborhood before Lee was discovered unconscious in the early hours of April 4, 2023.

Lee had two stab wounds to the chest. He later died at the hospital, with an autopsy revealing he had alcohol, ketamine, and cocaine in his system.

According to CBS News, prosecutors argued that Momeni, upset that Lee had introduced the entrepreneur’s sister Khazar to a man who gave her the drug GHB, took a kitchen knife and attacked Lee in a rage. However, Momeni’s defense claimed he acted in self-defense after Lee allegedly lunged at him with a knife during a heated dispute over a “bad joke” about Lee’s family.

In a courtroom scene after the verdict, Lee’s brother Oliver expressed relief, stating, “We’re happy that Nima Momeni won’t be on the streets, no longer has the opportunity to harm anyone else.” Meanwhile, Momeni’s mother Mahnaz Tayarani decried a “not fair trial,” insisted her son is innocent, and vowed to appeal the conviction.

The sentencing date for Momeni will be set at a hearing on January 10.

While little was previously known about Momeni, he was described as a “tech entrepreneur” during the trial. His LinkedIn profile reveals he is the owner of Expand IT, a Bay Area company he started in 2010 to provide IT solutions to local businesses.

Bob Lee served as the CTO of mobile payment company Square (now Block) to develop its Android app, and founded Cash App, which allows users to transfer cash to others and make market investments. He previously worked at Google during the early Android years.

The killing and guilty verdict have ignited debates about San Francisco’s safety. Even Elon Musk weighed in last year, replying to a post on X in reference to the Lee case that “violent crime in SF is horrific.”

Masthead credit: Vicki Behringer via Courthouse News