Tech founder Adam Robinson dies in Florida Learjet crash with eight others

Adam Robinson, a 45-year-old tech entrepreneur, died on Sunday when a Learjet 60 crashed near Greenacres and Palm Beach, Florida. All nine people aboard the aircraft were killed, including Robinson, his wife Helen Sharp, their two young children, their nanny, two friends, and two pilots. The group was flying from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas to the Bahamas to celebrate Robinson's birthday.

Robinson founded Retention.com, RB2B, and MoltSets, and was known for promoting bootstrapping over venture capital funding. He previously worked as a credit trader at Lehman Brothers during the 2008 financial crisis before moving into tech startups. In recent years he lived in Aspen, Colorado.

“Adam was much more than our CEO. He was a friend, a mentor and a bold leader who lived life to the fullest.”

The victims' families described Robinson and Sharp as a love that would last forever, and called the children the light of their lives. Nanny Anita Maria Cetina was remembered as a tender and devoted caregiver who was truly part of the family. Friends Rachael Reed and Charmi Fehr also died in the crash.

Robinson's companies issued a joint statement calling him a friend, mentor, and bold leader who lived life to the fullest. They said his loss is deeply felt across their team and the wider tech community. A friend and mentor from Austin, Brett Hurt, called the crash an unspeakable tragedy and described Robinson as an amazing conscious capitalist.

The aircraft was operated by Aura Aviation, which markets its services under the name Upper Jets. The plane disintegrated in the air before crashing in Palm Beach County. Authorities have not released further details about the cause of the accident.