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Last Night in San Francisco: Tech's Lost Promise and the Killing of Bob Lee
Bad Blood meets Burn Book in this exposé about tech icon Bob Lee—and what his life and 2023 murder tell us about San Francisco in the Internet Age
FOR FANS OF GOING INFINITE AND SUPER Sex and drugs, parties and violence, genius coders and VC tycoons—welcome to the rip-roaring world of the American tech industry
The full story of an industry, a city, and two men—one who got everything he ever wanted, one who never got what he thought he deserved—and what happened the night it all came apart.
Like his many peers in the tech industry who had poured into San Francisco over the last two decades, Bob Lee was remaking the world, building the most familiar parts of our digital lives, a lead innovator at one start-up after another, such as Google, Android, Square, and CashApp.
When Lee was found stabbed to death one night on the streets of San Francisco, the city’s many critics knew exactly what it meant. Just like they had been saying, the city was violent, dangerous, and out-of-control. San Francisco was so bent on creating a liberal utopia that it was failing at its most basic tasks—to keep its citizens safe.
It’s a familiar story—familiar and wrong. Bob Lee was a man without limits, and he had a recklessness that led to his triumphs as well as his downfall.
FOR FANS OF GOING INFINITE AND SUPER Sex and drugs, parties and violence, genius coders and VC tycoons—welcome to the rip-roaring world of the American tech industry
The full story of an industry, a city, and two men—one who got everything he ever wanted, one who never got what he thought he deserved—and what happened the night it all came apart.
Like his many peers in the tech industry who had poured into San Francisco over the last two decades, Bob Lee was remaking the world, building the most familiar parts of our digital lives, a lead innovator at one start-up after another, such as Google, Android, Square, and CashApp.
When Lee was found stabbed to death one night on the streets of San Francisco, the city’s many critics knew exactly what it meant. Just like they had been saying, the city was violent, dangerous, and out-of-control. San Francisco was so bent on creating a liberal utopia that it was failing at its most basic tasks—to keep its citizens safe.
It’s a familiar story—familiar and wrong. Bob Lee was a man without limits, and he had a recklessness that led to his triumphs as well as his downfall.
288 pages, Paperback
First published August 5, 2025
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64 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
September 1, 2025
Fascinating story of a place in a particular moment of time, framed by the murder of a popular tech exec. Initially, some of the loudest voices on Twitter insisted Bob Lee had fallen victim to San Francisco's lawlessness, a sign of how the city had spiraled into homelessness and violence. The truth turned out to be much more insidious.
The author does an excellent job of providing a full perspective and honoring the humanity of everyone involved--but doesn't pull a single punch. Devastating.
The author does an excellent job of providing a full perspective and honoring the humanity of everyone involved--but doesn't pull a single punch. Devastating.
August 9, 2025
In the early hours of April 4, 2023, Bob Lee, creator of Cash App and instrumental in the development of Android, was stabbed to death on San Francisco's Main Street. As he lay dying, Lee managed to call 911, but emergency services were unable to save him.
Immediate speculation by people like Elon Musk on then-Twitter and, on their podcast, Chamath Palihapitiya, Jason Calacanis, David Sacks, and David Friedberg (also known as the Besties) blamed San Francisco's allegedly high crime rate, and turned the murder into political fodder. Lee, however, was soon found to have been with Nima Momeni just before his death; Momeni was subsequently charged and found guilty of second-degree murder. He’s appealing his conviction.
Lee's tale is one of genius, hard partying, and drug abuse, as outlined in *Last Night in San Francisco*. He was well-liked and without obvious enemies. He may have died, though, the book implies, due to his involvement with Momeni's sister, Khazar, and his introducing her to a drug dealer she claimed assaulted her in the hours before Lee's murder. The story remains murky, and there are no witnesses: Lee and Momeni were alone at the scene of the stabbing.
We may never know the full truth, but Lucas's book illuminates many of the facts for us. Lucas uses Lee's life and death to make an argument for how tech's promised utopia has failed to materialise—not only for its users, but also for those, like Lee, who dreamed of and worked towards delivering it.
Immediate speculation by people like Elon Musk on then-Twitter and, on their podcast, Chamath Palihapitiya, Jason Calacanis, David Sacks, and David Friedberg (also known as the Besties) blamed San Francisco's allegedly high crime rate, and turned the murder into political fodder. Lee, however, was soon found to have been with Nima Momeni just before his death; Momeni was subsequently charged and found guilty of second-degree murder. He’s appealing his conviction.
Lee's tale is one of genius, hard partying, and drug abuse, as outlined in *Last Night in San Francisco*. He was well-liked and without obvious enemies. He may have died, though, the book implies, due to his involvement with Momeni's sister, Khazar, and his introducing her to a drug dealer she claimed assaulted her in the hours before Lee's murder. The story remains murky, and there are no witnesses: Lee and Momeni were alone at the scene of the stabbing.
We may never know the full truth, but Lucas's book illuminates many of the facts for us. Lucas uses Lee's life and death to make an argument for how tech's promised utopia has failed to materialise—not only for its users, but also for those, like Lee, who dreamed of and worked towards delivering it.
May 12, 2025
Book Review: Last Night in San Francisco: Tech’s Lost Promise and the Killing of Bob Lee by Scott Alan Lucas
Scott Alan Lucas’s Last Night in San Francisco is a gripping and incisive work that blends true crime with cultural critique, examining the shocking murder of tech executive Bob Lee against the backdrop of San Francisco’s shifting identity. More than just a chronicle of a high-profile crime, the book serves as a searing indictment of the tech industry’s broken promises and the socioeconomic decay of one of America’s most iconic cities. Lucas combines investigative journalism with sociological analysis, crafting a narrative that is as much about systemic failure as it is about a single tragic event.
Content and Themes
The book meticulously reconstructs the events leading up to and following the murder of Bob Lee, a well-known figure in the tech world, while situating the crime within broader tensions in San Francisco. Lucas explores:
The Dark Side of the Tech Boom: How rapid gentrification, income inequality, and corporate exploitation have eroded the city’s social fabric.
Crime and Punishment in a Divided City: The disparities in law enforcement responses to violence in affluent versus marginalized communities.
The Myth of the Tech Utopia: The gap between Silicon Valley’s rhetoric of innovation and its actual impact on urban life.
Human Cost of Disruption: The personal stories of those left behind in the city’s transformation, including the accused and the victim’s circles.
Lucas avoids reducing the story to a simple whodunit, instead presenting a layered portrait of a city in crisis.
Strengths
Nuanced Storytelling: Lucas balances the human drama of Lee’s murder with sharp commentary on institutional failures, making the book both emotionally compelling and intellectually rigorous.
Deep Reporting: The author’s access to key figures—friends, colleagues, law enforcement, and critics of the tech industry—lends the narrative authenticity and depth.
Cultural Critique: The book excels in connecting Lee’s death to larger issues, such as housing crises, addiction epidemics, and the hollowing out of San Francisco’s middle class.
Pacing and Structure: The narrative unfolds like a thriller, with suspenseful reveals and well-timed shifts between past and present.
Areas for Improvement
Perspective Imbalance: While the tech industry’s flaws are thoroughly examined, the voices of long-time San Francisco residents—particularly from marginalized communities—could have been more prominently featured.
Speculative Moments: A few passages veer into conjecture about Lee’s personal life and motivations, which, while intriguing, lack definitive evidence.
Policy Solutions: The critique is robust, but the book could have devoted more space to potential reforms or alternative visions for the city’s future.
Score Breakdown (Out of 5)
Research and Reporting: 4.8/5 (Thorough and well-sourced, with minor speculative gaps)
Narrative Engagement: 4.7/5 (Compelling, though occasionally meanders into broader commentary)
Thematic Depth: 4.9/5 (A masterful blend of true crime and social analysis)
Originality: 4.6/5 (A fresh take on both tech criticism and crime storytelling)
Prose and Clarity: 4.5/5 (Journalistically crisp, with occasional dense passages)
Overall Rating: 4.7/5
Last Night in San Francisco is a standout work that transcends the true crime genre, offering a devastating portrait of a city—and an industry—at a crossroads. Lucas’s ability to weave personal tragedy with systemic critique makes this book essential reading for those interested in urban studies, technology’s societal impact, or the complexities of modern crime. While it occasionally sacrifices narrative focus for broader commentary, the trade-off is worthwhile, resulting in a thought-provoking and unforgettable read.
Acknowledgments
Thank you to NetGalley and Scott Alan Lucas for providing an advance copy of Last Night in San Francisco. This review reflects my sincere appreciation for the book’s bold storytelling and its unflinching examination of the forces shaping contemporary urban life.
Scott Alan Lucas’s Last Night in San Francisco is a gripping and incisive work that blends true crime with cultural critique, examining the shocking murder of tech executive Bob Lee against the backdrop of San Francisco’s shifting identity. More than just a chronicle of a high-profile crime, the book serves as a searing indictment of the tech industry’s broken promises and the socioeconomic decay of one of America’s most iconic cities. Lucas combines investigative journalism with sociological analysis, crafting a narrative that is as much about systemic failure as it is about a single tragic event.
Content and Themes
The book meticulously reconstructs the events leading up to and following the murder of Bob Lee, a well-known figure in the tech world, while situating the crime within broader tensions in San Francisco. Lucas explores:
The Dark Side of the Tech Boom: How rapid gentrification, income inequality, and corporate exploitation have eroded the city’s social fabric.
Crime and Punishment in a Divided City: The disparities in law enforcement responses to violence in affluent versus marginalized communities.
The Myth of the Tech Utopia: The gap between Silicon Valley’s rhetoric of innovation and its actual impact on urban life.
Human Cost of Disruption: The personal stories of those left behind in the city’s transformation, including the accused and the victim’s circles.
Lucas avoids reducing the story to a simple whodunit, instead presenting a layered portrait of a city in crisis.
Strengths
Nuanced Storytelling: Lucas balances the human drama of Lee’s murder with sharp commentary on institutional failures, making the book both emotionally compelling and intellectually rigorous.
Deep Reporting: The author’s access to key figures—friends, colleagues, law enforcement, and critics of the tech industry—lends the narrative authenticity and depth.
Cultural Critique: The book excels in connecting Lee’s death to larger issues, such as housing crises, addiction epidemics, and the hollowing out of San Francisco’s middle class.
Pacing and Structure: The narrative unfolds like a thriller, with suspenseful reveals and well-timed shifts between past and present.
Areas for Improvement
Perspective Imbalance: While the tech industry’s flaws are thoroughly examined, the voices of long-time San Francisco residents—particularly from marginalized communities—could have been more prominently featured.
Speculative Moments: A few passages veer into conjecture about Lee’s personal life and motivations, which, while intriguing, lack definitive evidence.
Policy Solutions: The critique is robust, but the book could have devoted more space to potential reforms or alternative visions for the city’s future.
Score Breakdown (Out of 5)
Research and Reporting: 4.8/5 (Thorough and well-sourced, with minor speculative gaps)
Narrative Engagement: 4.7/5 (Compelling, though occasionally meanders into broader commentary)
Thematic Depth: 4.9/5 (A masterful blend of true crime and social analysis)
Originality: 4.6/5 (A fresh take on both tech criticism and crime storytelling)
Prose and Clarity: 4.5/5 (Journalistically crisp, with occasional dense passages)
Overall Rating: 4.7/5
Last Night in San Francisco is a standout work that transcends the true crime genre, offering a devastating portrait of a city—and an industry—at a crossroads. Lucas’s ability to weave personal tragedy with systemic critique makes this book essential reading for those interested in urban studies, technology’s societal impact, or the complexities of modern crime. While it occasionally sacrifices narrative focus for broader commentary, the trade-off is worthwhile, resulting in a thought-provoking and unforgettable read.
Acknowledgments
Thank you to NetGalley and Scott Alan Lucas for providing an advance copy of Last Night in San Francisco. This review reflects my sincere appreciation for the book’s bold storytelling and its unflinching examination of the forces shaping contemporary urban life.
July 12, 2025
You could say that biographies of tech founders have recently become a genre of their own. I admit that I am a fan, partly because Big Tech plays such a huge role in our lives and partly because these people are usually rather unconventional. Bob Lee was undoubtedly such a character, although he became famous mostly thanks to his untimely, violent death. I enjoyed learning more about him, although my favorite parts of the book were those devoted to San Francisco itself. As a local journalist, Scott Alan Lucas is uniquely positioned to offer a nuanced picture of this city, which has been both demonized and glorified.
Thanks to the publisher, Steerforth, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.
Thanks to the publisher, Steerforth, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews