Life is an ocean of uncertainties and fickleness. One might successfully sail their ship on the ocean while one may drown. Likewise, John McAfee had a life full of ups and downs. An enthusiastic brilliant computer programmer went through uncountable vicissitudes to be called “a mental millionaire”. The deeper we look into his life, the thriller his life story gets.
McAfee’s Early life
McAfee was born on 18 September 1945 in Cinderford, Gloucestershire, United Kingdom. He was born to an American father and a British mother. However, raised in Virginia, he considered himself half American half British. McAfee had a very unstable childhood as his father was an abusive alcoholic.
John completed his bachelor’s degree in mathematics in 1967 from Roanoke College in Virginia. In the wake of a bachelor’s degree, McAfee began working towards a doctorate in mathematics. Unfortunately, Northeast Lousiana College expelled him in 1968. Because the institution caught him in an affair with an undergraduate student. His early day’s love eventually became his first wife too. Later in 2008, he received an honorary doctor of science degree.
Career
McAfee’s career life was like a thrilling roller coaster ride. He made the first-ever commercial anti-virus software named “McAfee antivirus” in 1987. Consequently, he founded McAfee Associates to sell his creation. Eventually, he resigned from the company in 1994. Later he founded the companies like Tribal Voice, QuorumEx, and Future Tense Central. In addition to that, he was also tied to ventures like NASA, Univac, Xerox, CSC, Booz Allen, and Lockhead.
In 2007 John McAfee’s net worth rocketed to $100 million until he faced a tragic financial crisis in 2008. Interestingly, he even ran for the presidential election in 2016 and 2020 as a nominee from the Libertarian Party. Sadly he was unsuccessful in both years. Besides his interest in software, programming, and mobile apps. He had a keen interest in light sport aircraft, yoga, and cryptocurrency.
Legal Issues
John while living in Belize faced many legal issues. On 30 April 2012 Belize Policemen arrested him for possessing unlicensed weapons and drugs. Later they released him without any charge because the Belize police spokesman claimed that he was not convicted but suspected.
On 2012, 12 November, Belize policemen were staunchly searching for John as he was the person of interest in one of the homicide cases in Belize. Gregory Viant Faull was the murdered victim and the neighbor of McAfee. John flew from Belize rather than cooperating with the Belize government.
Recently in July 2019, The Public ministry arrested him and his team. Because his yacht was suspicious for carrying loads of weapons at Puerto Placa, Dominican Republic. They released them only after 4 days, seizing all the weapons. Likewise, he had other legal allegations too for lying and crossing the border illegally.
McAfee’s Death (23 June 2021)
John McAfee was found dead on 23 June 2021 in a prison near Barcelona, Spain. He was in prison for 9 months. The national police arrested him when US prosecutors accused him of tax evasion. Later the autopsy confirmed that he committed suicide. However, many conspiracy theories have been surfacing on the internet regarding his death.
His life story was so interesting and thrilling. Nanette Burstein made an entire documentary on his life at Belize, “Gringo: The Dangerous Life of John McAfee”. Looking back at his life, he certainly had a dangerous life.
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