Prominent tech entrepreneur found decapitated in ‘professional’ killing at his NYC luxury condo
A 33-year-old tech entrepreneur was found dismembered in a grisly murder at his multi-million dollar luxury apartment in Manhattan, New York with reports indicating some of his final moments may have been captured on CCTV.
The body of Fahim Saleh, a successful founder of multiple startups and the son of Bangladeshi immigrants, was reportedly discovered by his sister on Tuesday after she came to check on her brother, who she hadn’t seen in a day.
According to the New York Daily News, Mr Saleh’s body was found near an electric saw and contractor bags. He was left decapitated, with his limbs dismembered from the torso in what police sources described to the New York Post as a “professional” killing.
A second man could be seen on surveillance video following Mr Saleh onto the building’s elevator, according to the Daily News, donning a suit, hat, gloves and face mask. A source told the newspaper: “The perp had a suitcase. He was very professional.”
Mr Saleh can then be seen on the video reportedly walking out of the elevator on the floor where his apartment was located before falling to the ground. It was not immediately clear what caused the victim to collapse.
Neighbours said they watched as police escorted two women who came to the apartment after the killing, appearing “hysterical” and in “disbelief” before leaving with detectives. A mid-sized dog was also taken from Mr Saleh’s apartment.
The 33-year-old was the CEO of Gokadang, a motorcycle-sharing app in Lagos, Nigeria, as well as a founding partner at Adventure Capital. He also co-founded a ride company called Pathao in Nepal and Bangladesh, and formerly served as CEO of KickBack Apps, which included multiple phone-pranking apps like “PrankDial” and “PrankPad”.
His LinkedIn described him as “finding good people, dodging oncoming traffic, and building value.”
Confirming his death in a statement, Gokada wrote in a statement: “We are deeply saddened to inform you about the sudden and tragic loss of our founder and CEO, Fahim Saleh.”
Pathao’s co-founder Hussein M Elius said about Mr Saleh in a statement to Bangladesh’s Daily Star: “Fahim believed in the potential for technology to transform lives in Bangladesh and beyond.”
He added: “He saw the promise in us when all we had was a common purpose and a shared vision. He was, and will forever remain, an incredible inspiration for Pathao and our entire ecosystem.”
Police have not yet released a motive in the killing. A press officer for the NYPD did not immediately return requests for comment.
