Inside The Killing of Cash App Founder Bob Lee and the Trial That Followed

Bob Lee, fiunder of the CashApp had it all: fame, power, money, fans, and everything one can think of. However, his life abruptly ended because of his party lifestyle.

A San Francisco jury found IT consultant Nima Momeni guilty of second-degree murder in December 2024 in the killing of Bob Lee. The case is still going on. As of 2026, Momeni has not been sentenced, and now his lawyer is pushing for a new trial, which has delayed final sentencing.

Bob Lee, 43, was killed in the early hours of April 4, 2023. He was stabbed three times in the hip and chest after a night of partying in San Francisco. Lee managed to call 911 operators after the attack, who arrived and found him at about 2:35 a.m. He was then taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Prosecutors said the attack grew out of jealousy and anger tied to Lee’s contract with Momeni’s sister, Khazar Momeni. Witness accounts said Momeni questioned Lee that night about his sister and asked if she was using drugs or doing anything inappropriate. According to a witness, Lee “had to reassure the defendant nothing inappropriate happened.”

Earlier that day, Lee and Khazar had attended a house party in San Francisco. The party included drinking, socialising, and drugs. After an argument, Momeni drove Lee away from the party. Prosecutors said he took him to a quiet area of the city and stabbed him with a kitchen knife before leaving him on the street.

Lee’s life before his murder was marked by success in the tech world. He worked at Google and helped develop the Android system. He later became CEO at Square, now called Block. There, he played a key role in building Cash App. After leaving, he invested in major startups, including Figma and SpaceX. At the time of his death, he worked as chief product officer at MobileCoin, a cryptocurrency firm.

Friends described him as wealthy and restless. He was separated from his wife, Krista Lee. They shared two teenage children, Dagny and Scout. The former couple remained close and co-parented peacefully. Friends also said Lee lived a fast social life. He attended parties around the world and was used to drugs recreationally, including cocaine, ecstasy, and ketamine.

The case turned during the trial around competing versions of what happened. The defence argued Lee became angry after a joke, pulled the knife first, and Momeni only acted in self-defence during a struggle. Momeni said he did not even realise Lee had been stabbed and only learned after his death.

But prosecutors highlighted the forensic evidence. DNA linked only Momeni to the knife handle, according to reports. They also questioned why he did not call the police if he had been attacked. The jury rejected the defence version after a week of deliberation and returned a guilty verdict.

Lee’s brother, Tim Oliver Lee, said after the verdict, “We’re happy that Nima Momeni will not be on the streets, he no longer has the opportunity to harm anybody else in this world. We think justice was done here today.”

Momeni is now facing 16 years to life in prison, but sentencing remains on hold due to his request for a new trial.

The fallout spread beyond the criminal case. In 2025, Lee’s family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Momeni and many others, claiming attempts to destroy evidence. Momeni has also sued multiple media outlets seeking $17 million for defamation and emotional distress tied to coverage of the case.