Tech Entrepreneur Adam Robinson and Eight Others Killed in Palm Beach Jet Crash
The founder of Retention.com and RB2B died alongside his family and two pilots when their private jet crashed in Florida.
A private jet crash in Palm Beach County, Florida, claimed the lives of nine people, including Austin-based technology entrepreneur Adam Robinson, his wife, their two children, and the aircraft's two pilots. The Learjet 60 was traveling from Austin, Texas, to the Bahamas when the tragedy occurred on November 1.
Robinson, 44, was well-known in the technology industry as the founder and chief executive officer of Retention.com and RB2B. Both software-as-a-service companies specialized in helping businesses identify anonymous website visitors. Beyond those ventures, Robinson had also recently launched an artificial intelligence-focused company called MoltSets in June 2026, which offered contact data application programming interfaces for AI agents.
Before entering the technology sector, Robinson spent approximately a decade working on Wall Street, holding positions at Lehman Brothers and Barclays Capital. He later transitioned into entrepreneurship, gaining recognition for bootstrapping his companies to high revenues with relatively small teams rather than relying on traditional venture capital funding. In May 2025, his personal net worth was estimated at around $6 million, though that figure excluded the value of his business holdings.
The fatal flight also carried Robinson's wife, Helen Sharp, who operated a communications firm and a pottery studio, and their two children, Emma and Charlie. Two close family friends and the aircraft's nanny were also among the victims who perished in the accident.
The two pilots operating the chartered aircraft were also killed in the crash. One of them was 20-year-old co-pilot Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras, an American of Brazilian heritage with roughly 1,300 flight hours who had dreamed of flying commercially. Shortly before the disaster, Filgueiras managed to send a final text message to her boyfriend and fellow pilot, Justin, stating that the aircraft was experiencing severe turbulence and icing conditions.
Her stepfather, Thiago Corteleti, shared details of the final message, noting that she wrote about encountering extreme weather conditions just ten minutes before the tragedy unfolded. Authorities stated that the private aircraft encountered temperatures 46 degrees below freezing and heavy icing as it suddenly lost altitude.
Federal authorities are continuing their investigation to determine the exact cause of the fatal crash. The sudden loss of Robinson, his family, and the crew has left a profound impact on the business community and the families affected by the tragedy.