Joe McCann, the founder of the cryptocurrency investment firm Asymmetric, is under investigation by Tanzanian authorities following the alleged suicide of his fiancée, US social media influencer Ashly Robinson, during their trip to Zanzibar. Robinson, a 31-year-old lifestyle creator, was found unresponsive in a private villa at the luxury Zuri Zanzibar resort on April 9, where the couple was celebrating her birthday and recent engagement, and was later pronounced dead at a hospital. According to Zanzibar police, Robinson's death was confirmed as a suicide after a 'misunderstanding' between the couple.
However, the police have not ruled out other possibilities and are still investigating, having withheld McCann's passport and asked him to remain in the country pending the results of Robinson's autopsy. The couple had been involved in a heated dispute before being separated by hotel staff, and despite the initial confirmation of suicide, Robinson's family has expressed doubts about the cause of her death, setting up a GoFundMe page to raise funds for travel costs and other expenses. McCann, with an estimated net worth of $45 million, is a prominent figure in the institutional crypto space, having led Asymmetric, a hedge fund and venture firm backed by prominent investors. The hotel where the incident occurred has expressed its condolences and is cooperating with the authorities, while the US State Department has offered its condolences to Robinson's family, citing privacy concerns as the reason for not commenting further on the investigation.