Antivirus software pioneer John McAfee was found dead in his prison cell in Spain on Wednesday, from where he was set to be extradited to the U.S. on charges of tax evasion.
A Spanish court had approved McAfee’s extradition hours before his death. McAfee allegedly earned millions of dollars while failing to file tax returns between 2014 and 2018, according to an indictment in 2020. McAfee faced up to 30 years in prison under the indictment.
McAfee, an eccentric individual, warned in 2019 and 2020 that if he died in prison it would not be by suicide.
I am content in here. I have friends.
The food is good. All is well.
Know that if I hang myself, a la Epstein, it will be no fault of mine.
— John McAfee (@officialmcafee) October 15, 2020
Getting subtle messages from U.S. officials saying, in effect: “We’re coming for you McAfee! We’re going to kill yourself”. I got a tattoo today just in case. If I suicide myself, I didn’t. I was whackd. Check my right arm.$WHACKD available only on https://t.co/HdSEYi9krq🙂 pic.twitter.com/rJ0Vi2Hpjj
— John McAfee (@officialmcafee) November 30, 2019
The entrepreneur founded McAfee Associates in 1987, which would go on to produce the first commercial antivirus software.
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