The Criminal That Lives in Your Computer
22 Aug 2024 (4 months ago)
McAfee's Early Career and Success
- John McAfee began his career with jobs at companies including Lockheed, NASA, and Xerox. (26s)
- McAfee became aware of Brain, the first computer virus, which was created by two brothers in Pakistan who were selling pirated software. (39s)
- McAfee founded a company and created VirusScan, an antivirus software, after becoming concerned about the potential impact of computer viruses. (2m8s)
- In 1992, McAfee went public with an estimated worth of $220 million, making John McAfee a millionaire. John McAfee left the company in 1993 as an employee and as a board member in 1995. (7m0s)
- John McAfee created the internet messaging platform PowWow and later sold it to CMGI for $17 million. (8m52s)
Financial Troubles and Life in Belize
- During the 2008 financial crisis John McAfee lost a large portion of his wealth and was reported to be worth close to $4 million. (10m21s)
- John McAfee, after facing financial troubles, relocated to Ambergris Caye in Belize, where he invested in properties, allegedly bribed local police, and established a company called Quorum X for research on healing herbs. (10m44s)
- In 2012, McAfee's property in Orange Walk was raided by the Gang Suppression Unit (GSU) for suspected drug manufacturing, but the substances found did not lead to criminal charges. (12m17s)
- Following the raid, McAfee moved to La Bonita, hired armed guards, and was later considered a person of interest in the death of his neighbor, Gregory Faull, after which he fled Belize. (12m56s)