Tech executive and Cash App founder, Bob Lee, was killed in San Francisco on April 4th, which triggered a heated public debate regarding public safety and policy in the city. Elon Musk, alongside several other Silicon Valley executives, claimed that San Francisco's uncontrolled homelessness and violence may have caused Lee's death. However, the tensions became heightened after police charged another tech entrepreneur with murder, causing several residents to accuse the industry leaders of exploiting the tragedy as a political agenda. Several residents, including insiders from the tech sector, claimed that the incident revealed the fissures in San Francisco’s tech industry and its relationship with the city. Lee was a respected tech executive, was widely known in the industry, and the father of two teenage daughters.

The suspect in Lee’s killing is tech entrepreneur Nima Momeni. Court documents suggest that Momeni and Lee knew each other, and in the moments leading up to Lee's death, may have spoken about Momeni's sister. The San Francisco District Attorney stated that there may be a connection between Momeni’s sister and the circumstances leading to the fatal attack on Lee. Twitter CEO Elon Musk and other tech executives have capitalized on the tragedy to highlight the issue of crime in San Francisco, while several residents have criticized these tech leaders for exploiting the situation for their own benefit.