Tech Entrepreneur John McAfee Dead At 75 By Suicide In Spanish Prison While Awaiting Extradition To U.S.: Report
Antivirus software pioneer John McAfee was reportedly found dead after taking his life in a Spanish jail cell. He was 75 years old.
According to multiple outlets, the British-American tech entrepreneur killed himself in the evening on Wednesday, June 23, hours after reports surfaced that he would be extradited to the U.S. to face federal charges.
McAfee was the founder of antivirus software company McAfee Associates and was arrested last October over tax evasion charges. McAfee's charges were announced shortly after it was revealed that civil charges were being brought against him by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). If convicted, he could've faced 30 years in prison.
He was found dead while awaiting extradition, according to police sources who talked with El Pais.
While in prison, McAfee had been very vocal about sharing his thoughts with the public. And just weeks before his reported suicide, he tweeted about a conversation he had with an inmate asking about ways to kill themself.
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"Today a man facing a difficult situation asked if I knew of painless ways to kill himself. Having little experience in such, I was of not much help," McAfee wrote on Thursday, May 27. "The amazing thing is that the tone of the discussion was like discussing the weather. Prison is a strange environment."
Two days prior, he reflected on his relationship with his wife, Janice — who met McAfee in 2012 when he hired her as a prostitute in Florida. The duo wed the following year. "When I was young I was in love. Many times. Or I thought so. The more powerful. The more fire. The faster it burned out," he began his Tuesday, May 25, post.
"I confused love with need, sex, security, comfort. But it is none of these," McAfee concluded. "Almost nine years with @theemrsmcafee. I love you baby."
Prior to his troubles with the law, McAfee ran McAfee Associates — which was his first commercial antivirus software — from 1987-1994. After resigning, he founded the companies Tribal Voice, QuorumEx and Future Tense Central amongst many others. The businessman's wealth reportedly peaked in 2007 at $100 million; however, his luck took a turn for the worst during the 2008 financial crisis.
