John McAfee Found Dead in Spanish Prison Cell: Report

Tech entrepreneur and antivirus software developer John McAfee was found dead today in his prison cell, according to a report from the Spanish newspaper El Mundo.

A statement from Spain’s justice department confirmed the news and suggested a potential cause of death: “Everything points it could be a death by suicide.”

McAfee had been detained in Spain since late last year on tax evasion charges; his extradition to the U.S. was approved this morning, per Reuters.

In March, McAfee was indicted on separate charges of money laundering and fraud related to his dealings in cryptocurrency. U.S. attorneys accused McAfee of orchestrating a “pump-and-dump” scheme, and using social media to illegally promote initial coin offerings.

McAfee’s initial claim to fame was McAfee Associates, the antivirus software company he founded in 1987. He resigned his position in 1994 and spent the remainder of his life distancing himself from the company.

McAfee was also an alleged murderer: he was at the center of an investigation surrounding the death of his neighbor in Belize, though he was never formally charged. He was eventually held liable for the death, but refused to pay the $25 million judgment.

A devoted Libertarian, he attempted to run for president in 2016 and 2020.

“Know that if I hang myself, a la Epstein, it will be no fault of mine,” tweeted McAfee last year, referencing a theory about the death of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Editor's note: This story was updated after publication to provide additional details regarding the criminal charges McAfee faced.