Founder of the cryptocurrency investment firm Asymmetric, Joe McCann, is being investigated by Tanzanian authorities following the alleged suicide of his fiancée, US lifestyle influencer Ashly Robinson, in Zanzibar. Robinson, 31, was found unresponsive in a private villa at the luxury resort Zuri Zanzibar, where the couple was celebrating her birthday and recent engagement, and was later pronounced dead at a hospital. Although Zanzibar police confirmed that Robinson's death was due to suicide after a 'misunderstanding' between the couple, they are still investigating the incident.
The couple had been involved in a heated dispute before being separated twice by hotel staff, and police have withheld McCann's passport pending the outcome of the investigation. McCann has been questioned by the police and has been asked to remain in the country until the forensic results from Robinson's autopsy are available. The hotel has expressed its condolences and is cooperating fully with the local authorities and the US Embassy. Robinson's family has set up a GoFundMe page to help cover travel costs and other expenses, and has raised over $50,000.
McCann, who has an estimated net worth of $45 million, is a prominent figure in the institutional crypto space and leads Asymmetric, a hedge fund and venture firm backed by investors including Andreessen Horowitz co-founders Marc Andreessen and Chris Dixon. However, in December, he announced that he would be shutting down Asymmetric's Liquid Alpha Fund due to significant financial losses throughout 2025.
The US State Department has offered its condolences to the Robinson family but has declined to comment further on the investigation.