WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (VINnews) — Technology entrepreneur Adam Robinson, his wife and their two young daughters have been identified among the nine people killed when a Learjet 60 crashed in Palm Beach County, Florida, on Sunday.

Robinson, 44, an Austin, Texas-based entrepreneur, was traveling with his wife, Helen, their daughters, Bella and Emma, the family’s nanny and two close friends when the private jet crashed. Both pilots also died.

Robinson was the founder of Retention.com and RB2B, software companies specializing in customer identification, marketing technology and business-to-business lead generation. He previously worked in the financial industry at Lehman Brothers and Barclays Capital.

Helen Robinson was a ceramic artist and entrepreneur who operated Helen Sharp Ceramics.

In an eerie coincidence, Robinson posted a message on X on April 17 that has taken on a tragic significance following the crash.

“You don’t need to crash a plane to learn to fly … and you don’t need VC to build a business,” he wrote.

The post had attracted approximately 595,200 views.

You don’t need to crash a plane to learn to fly … and you don’t need VC to build a business.

— Adam Robinson (@RetentionAdam) April 17, 2026

The Learjet had departed Austin, Texas, and was headed to the Bahamas when it crashed shortly before 1 p.m. Sunday, erupting into a massive fireball near a residential community.

The pilots had reported icing conditions and moderate turbulence at approximately 35,000 feet before requesting permission to climb. The aircraft subsequently entered a rapid descent, prompting an emergency call to air traffic control.

The National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration are investigating the crash, including the possibility that icing and weather conditions contributed to the disaster.

All nine people aboard were killed.