John McAfee died in a Spanish prison after receiving an extradition order

That day The Spanish court’s verdict supporting his extradition was made public, John McAfee Died in a cell on the outskirts of Barcelona. The anti-virus pioneer who became a fugitive is 75 years old.

McAfee has been detained in Spain since his arrest on tax evasion charges last fall. The U.S. Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission added these allegations in March. Sued McAfee and a colleague on multiple counts It is related to two cryptocurrency projects that have allegedly spanned many years. If found guilty, he will face decades of imprisonment.

On Wednesday, the security guards of Brians 2 prison found McAfee dead in his cell; in the statement provided Associated Press, The Catalan government said that McAfee committed suicide. As of press time, the Catalan government did not respond to a request for comment.

“Our legal team in Spain confirmed that John was found dead in a cell. McAfee’s lawyer Nishay K. Sanan said in a statement: “I am sad to hear about these incidents. I pray for his wife Janice. “He tried to love this country, but the US government made his existence impossible.” They tried to erase him, but failed. “

After spending a youth in Roanoke, Virginia, and doing a series of short-term jobs, McAfee made a fortune in the field of antivirus software. He founded McAfee Associates in 1987; his eponymous product is the best of its kind.As detailed in a The final 2012 wired profileMcAfee was inspired by the spread of Brain, which is an early computer virus that affected PCs worldwide. He quit a job at Lockheed and went out of his home to start a business; within a few years, McAfee antivirus software was everywhere. In 1992, he listed the company. He left it two years later, tens of millions of dollars more than when he first started.

From the 90s to the 00s, McAfee seemed to follow a similar trajectory to other early technical success stories. He founded a yoga studio, founded an instant messaging company, and wrote several books.But as Joshua Davis wrote in 2012When the economy collapsed in 2008, McAfee lost a lot of money and moved to Belize in the same year. His behavior there became more and more worrying. He modeled himself as a voluntary police officer, hired guards and bought guns, and built a mysterious laboratory in his vast compound. In November of the same year, Belize authorities called McAfee an “interested person” in connection with the death of his neighbor. McAfee ran away.

In the years since, McAfee has renamed itself a pioneer and provocateur of cryptocurrency. He promoted various tokens on his active Twitter feed, allegedly making high compensation behind the scenes. The SEC further accused McAfee of implementing a parallel “surge and fall” plan, allegedly that he and his colleagues would buy a niche coin, urging people to buy it on social media and sell it in the resulting frenzy. McAfee originally planned to fight these allegations. According to San’an.

It shows how much has happened in McAfee’s life. His two attempts to run for President of the United States-he gained some support in the 2016 Liberty Party primary election-are just a footnote.Or in 2017, the person whose name is synonymous with antivirus software is Prohibited by law The mention of “McAfee” in the context of cybersecurity is part of the settlement with Intel, which Acquired the company in 2010 Nearly 8 billion U.S. dollars.

John McAfee’s life is full of complexity. His legacy is one of the highest and lowest points, and he is unique in all respects.

If you or someone you love has suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

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