Antivirus software pioneer John McAfee, embroiled in legal battles and cryptocurrency controversies, was found dead at 75 in a Spanish prison cell shortly after Spain approved his extradition to the United States.
John McAfee, the creator of McAfee antivirus software who later became a controversial figure due to his legal troubles and outspoken views on cryptocurrency, has died. The news of John Mcafee Died in a Spanish prison emerged on Wednesday, coinciding with a Spanish court’s decision to approve his extradition to the United States on tax evasion charges. McAfee, 75, had been in custody near Barcelona since his arrest in October 2020.
The Catalan regional government issued a statement indicating that prison security discovered McAfee deceased in his cell at the Brians 2 penitentiary. According to the Associated Press, the government suggested the death was a suicide. As of now, requests for further comments from Catalan authorities have not been answered.
Nishay K. Sanan, McAfee’s lawyer, confirmed the death in a statement: “Confirmation has come from our legal team in Spain that John was found dead in his jail cell. I am saddened to hear of the events, and my prayers go out to his wife, Janice.” Sanan’s statement further reflected McAfee’s strained relationship with the US government: “He tried to love this country, but the US Government made his existence impossible. They tried to erase him but they failed.”
McAfee’s legal troubles stemmed from allegations of tax evasion in the United States. In March, the US Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) escalated the charges, indicting McAfee and an associate on multiple counts related to cryptocurrency schemes. These charges included allegations of “pump-and-dump” schemes and illicitly promoting initial coin offerings (ICOs). If convicted on all counts, McAfee could have faced decades behind bars.
Before his descent into legal turmoil, John McAfee made his mark as a technology innovator. Born in the UK and raised in Virginia, he entered the tech world and founded McAfee Associates in 1987. His eponymous antivirus software was groundbreaking at the time, becoming one of the first widely available programs designed to combat computer viruses. Inspired by early computer viruses like Brain, McAfee left a position at Lockheed and launched his company from home. McAfee Antivirus quickly gained widespread adoption, and in 1992, he took the company public, amassing a significant personal fortune before departing in 1994.
In the years following his departure from McAfee Associates, he pursued various ventures, including a yoga studio and an instant messaging company. However, as detailed in a 2012 Wired profile, the 2008 financial crisis significantly impacted McAfee’s wealth, leading him to relocate to Belize. In Belize, his behavior became increasingly eccentric. He established a fortified compound, hired armed guards, amassed weapons, and constructed a mysterious laboratory. In November 2012, Belizean authorities named McAfee a “person of interest” in the murder of his neighbor, prompting him to flee the country.
In more recent years, McAfee reinvented himself as a cryptocurrency advocate and provocateur. He actively promoted various cryptocurrencies on Twitter, allegedly receiving substantial undisclosed compensation for these endorsements. The SEC accused McAfee of orchestrating a “pump-and-dump” scheme where he and associates would purchase large quantities of obscure cryptocurrencies, promote them to his followers on social media to artificially inflate the price, and then sell their holdings for profit. Despite the impending extradition and charges, McAfee had maintained his intention to fight the allegations, according to his lawyer.
The sheer breadth of McAfee’s life is underscored by the fact that his two attempts to run for President of the United States – in 2016 and 2020 as a Libertarian candidate – are often relegated to footnotes in his biography. Adding another layer of complexity, by 2017, McAfee was legally prohibited from using “McAfee” in connection with cybersecurity as part of a settlement with Intel, which had acquired McAfee’s company in 2010 for nearly $8 billion.
John McAfee’s life was undeniably complex and multifaceted. His legacy is a mix of technological innovation and personal controversy, marked by both remarkable achievements and profound lows. His death concludes a life that was, in every sense, unique.
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