John McAfee

John McAfee was a British-American entrepreneur, computer programmer, and political activist who founded the antivirus software company McAfee Associates in 1987. His later life was marked by extensive legal troubles, including investigations by the Securities and Exchange Commission and the United States Department of Justice, and a presidential campaign for the Libertarian Party. He was found dead in a Spanish prison in June 2021 while awaiting extradition to the United States.

Early life and education

John David McAfee was born in Cinderford, Gloucestershire, to a British mother and an American father stationed there as a U.S. Army soldier. He spent much of his childhood in Salem, Virginia, after his family moved to the United States. He attended Roanoke College, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics in 1967 and later took graduate courses at Louisiana State University. His early career included work as a programmer for institutions like NASA and the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign.

Career

After working for companies like Lockheed Martin, he founded McAfee Associates in 1987, pioneering one of the first commercial antivirus software programs. He led the company to prominence during the rise of early computer threats like the Brain virus and the Morris worm. He resigned from the company in 1994 and sold his remaining stake; the firm was later acquired by Intel. Subsequent ventures included founding the instant messaging software company Tribal Voice, the quorum sensing research firm QuorumEx, and the cybersecurity company MGT Capital Investments. He also served as CEO of the luxury smartphone maker MGT.

Legal issues and controversies

His life became increasingly tumultuous, beginning with the FinCEN filing a complaint against him in 2019. In 2020, he was indicted by the United States Department of Justice for tax evasion and willful failure to file returns, and separately charged by the Securities and Exchange Commission with fraud involving cryptocurrency promotions. He was arrested in Barcelona in October 2020 at the request of the United States and held in a prison in Sant Esteve Sesrovires. These legal battles followed earlier controversies, including his status as a person of interest in a 2012 homicide in Belize and various public feuds with authorities in Central America.

Political activities

A vocal proponent of cryptocurrency and privacy rights, he sought the presidential nomination of the Libertarian Party in 2016, ultimately won by Gary Johnson. He launched another campaign for the 2020 United States presidential election, running on a platform that emphasized cybersecurity, drug liberalization, and abolishing the Internal Revenue Service. His campaign, which operated largely from exile, garnered significant media attention but did not secure the nomination, which went to Jo Jorgensen.

Death

On 23 June 2021, he was found dead in his prison cell at the Brians 2 penitentiary center in Catalonia. The Catalan justice department stated that preliminary investigations pointed to suicide by hanging. This occurred hours after the Spanish National Court approved his extradition to the United States to face the tax evasion charges. His death was confirmed by his lawyer and sparked widespread commentary from figures across the cryptocurrency community and libertarian circles. Category:1945 births Category:2021 deaths Category:American businesspeople Category:American libertarians Category:American technology company founders