John McAfee: a controversial computer scientist

John McAfee was born on September 18, 1945, in Cinderford, England, and raised in Salem, Virginia, United States. He earned a degree in mathematics from Roanoke College in 1967, then worked for several technology companies, including NASA, Xerox, Lockheed and Computer Sciences Corporation.

In 1987, he created the first commercial antivirus software, McAfee, which quickly became a worldwide success. He sold his shares in the company in 1994, pocketing $100 million. He then embarked on various projects, such as yoga, aeronautics, biology and philanthropy.

In 2007, he moved to Belize, where he lived in a luxurious property surrounded by bodyguards and young women. He claims to be carrying out research on natural antibiotics, but he is suspected of being involved in drugs, arms and corruption. In 2012, he was wanted by the police for the murder of his neighbor, Gregory Faull, which he denied having committed. He fled to Guatemala, then was extradited to the United States.

In 2016, he ran for the American presidential election under the banner of the Libertarian Party, but he obtained only 0.66% of the vote. He is also noted for his positions on Bitcoin, which he enthusiastically supports, and for his criticism of the American government, which he accuses of persecuting him.

In 2020, he was arrested in Spain, at the request of American authorities, who accused him of tax fraud and market manipulation. He faces up to 30 years in prison. He was found dead in his cell on June 23, 2021, while awaiting extradition. The Spanish authorities concluded that it was suicide, but some of his relatives and fans expressed doubts and suggested a possible assassination.

John McAfee was an extraordinary character, who marked the history of computing, but also that of controversy. He embodied genius, eccentricity, wealth, adventure...