John David McAfee Net Worth

Overview

John David McAfee (1945-2021) was a British-American computer programmer, businessman, and two-time presidential candidate. He is best known for founding McAfee Associates in 1987, the company that created the first commercial anti-virus software, VirusScan. McAfee resigned from the company in 1994 and sold his remaining stake. He later became a vocal critic of the company. After leaving McAfee Associates, he founded Tribal Voice (makers of the PowWow chat program), QuorumEx, and Future Tense Central, among others, and was involved in leadership positions in the companies Everykey, MGT Capital Investments, and Luxcore. His interests included smartphone apps, cryptocurrency, yoga, light-sport aircraft, and recreational drug use. McAfee’s fortunes plummeted in the financial crisis of 2007–2008. He faced legal troubles, including tax evasion charges in the United States and was wanted for questioning in Belize in connection with a murder investigation. McAfee was a vocal advocate for privacy and personal freedom, central to his libertarian campaigns in 2016 and 2020. He opposed government surveillance and supported cryptocurrency as a way to reduce state control over financial systems. John McAfee died in a Spanish prison cell in June 2021 while awaiting extradition to the U.S. on tax evasion charges.

McAfee Associates

Founder

Here’s a detailed overview of John McAfee’s net worth, encompassing his financial journey, assets, and related milestones: ## What Was John David McAfee’s Net Worth? At the time of his death on June 23, 2021, John McAfee’s net worth was estimated to be around **$4 million**. However, this figure represents a significant decline from his peak net worth, which exceeded **$100 million** during his software career. This dramatic decrease resulted from a combination of factors, including: * Bad investments * The 2008 global recession * Legal issues ## Early Life and Career John David McAfee was born on September 18, 1945, in Cinderford, England, on a United States Army base. He was raised in Salem, Virginia. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Roanoke College in 1967, he began his career as a programmer at NASA’s Institute for Space Studies in New York City from 1968 to 1970, working on the Apollo program. He later held positions as a software designer at Univac and an operating system architect at Xerox. In 1978, he transitioned to consulting at Computer Sciences Corporation, followed by a role at Booz Allen Hamilton from 1980 to 1982. ## McAfee Associates and Initial Wealth In the 1980s, while working for Lockheed, McAfee started developing software to combat computer viruses. In 1987, he founded McAfee Associates, which released VirusScan, the first commercial antivirus software. The company quickly became a leader in the cybersecurity industry. In 1994, McAfee resigned from the company and sold his remaining stake for **$100 million**. ## Losing His Fortune After selling his stake in McAfee Associates, John McAfee engaged in various investments, some of which proved unsuccessful. A significant portion of his fortune was lost due to bad investments, including a large bet on Lehman Brothers’ bonds, which became worthless after the company’s bankruptcy in 2008. He was forced to sell real estate and other assets at substantial losses. For instance, a Colorado estate valued at **$25 million** was sold for only **$5.7 million**. Other assets sold included a mansion in Hawaii, a ranch in New Mexico, and a Cessna private jet. ## Ventures and Cryptocurrency After leaving McAfee Associates, he founded companies like Tribal Voice (makers of the PowWow chat program), QuorumEx, and Future Tense Central. He also held leadership positions in Everykey, MGT Capital Investments, and Luxcore. In later years, McAfee became heavily involved in cryptocurrencies, promoting various projects. U.S. federal prosecutors claimed he earned **$11 million** from “pumping and dumping” cryptocurrencies. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) charged McAfee in 2020 with promoting Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) on Twitter without disclosing he was paid over **$23 million** in digital assets for the promotions. ## Legal Issues and Tax Evasion McAfee faced numerous legal issues throughout his life, including allegations of tax evasion and involvement in a murder investigation in Belize. In 2012, he was investigated as a person of interest in the murder of his neighbor, Gregory Viant Faull, and fled Belize. He was later arrested in Guatemala for illegally entering the country but was eventually deported to the United States. In 2019, he claimed he could not afford to pay a court-ordered **$25 million** wrongful death lawsuit judgment related to Faull’s death. In October 2020, he was arrested in Spain at the request of the U.S. Department of Justice for tax evasion. ## Assets and Lifestyle While specific details about John McAfee’s total assets are not readily available, his wealth included real estate properties, including a mansion in Hawaii and a ranch in New Mexico. He also owned large mansions and compounds in Belize, Texas, Colorado, and Tennessee. He also owned a Cessna private jet. However, due to financial difficulties, he was forced to sell some of these assets at a significant loss. ## Death and Estate John McAfee died on June 23, 2021, at the age of 75, reportedly by suicide, shortly after the Spanish government approved his extradition to the United States on tax evasion charges. He did not leave a will or an estate plan. Two years after his death, his widow, Janice McAfee, was reportedly broke.

John David McAfee Net Worth

Overview

McAfee Associates

Celebrity Net Worth