John McAfee, founder of the popular anti-virus company McAfee (now owned by Intel), is wanted for murder in Belize. He’s also kind of a nutjob who’s into guns and drugs. Here’s what you need to know.
1. He’s the Primary Suspect in a Murder Investigation
The head of Belize’s Gang Suppression Unit, Marco Vidal, said to Wired that McAfee is a “prime suspect” in his neighbor’s murder and denies McAfee’s assertions that the police are framing him. Though McAfee has no plans to leave Belize, he says that “Under no circumstances am I going to willingly talk to the police in this country.”
2. The Victim Is Gregory Faull
McAfee is accused of murdering Gregory Faull, a fellow American expatriate living on Ambergris Caye, an island off the coast of Belize. He was discovered Sunday morning lying face-up in a pool of blood, having been shot in the head. Residents of San Pedro Town say that Faull was a well-liked builder who was originally from Florida. Though his iPhone and laptop were missing, there was no sign of forced entry.
3. He’s on the Run — and Hid in the Sand with a Box on his Head
According to Wired, McAfee has gone into hiding since the story broke, fearing that he’d be killed if he was taken in for questioning. As Belizean police searched his property, McAfee says he hid by “burying himself in the sand with a cardboard box over his head so he could breathe.” Despite this, he maintains his innocence. McAfee called Wired yesterday morning to tell his side of the story. He claims that he knows nothing of the shooting and fear that whoever killed Gaull is likely gunning for him as well. McAfee also believes that Belizean authorities killed his dogs with poison.
4. He Got Busted by the Police in the Past
On April 30, police raided McAfee’s compound in the jungle of Belize in search of firearms and narcotics. McAfee was cuffed and taken away after he was emerged from his bedroom with his 17-year-old Belizean girlfriend. The police found $20,000 cash, chemistry equipment, and a sh*t-ton of guns. But shockingly, all of this was legal, as the guns were licensed and the lab was manufacturing an herbal antibacterial compound. He and his security guards were released hours later and the charges were dropped, but McAfee believes that the police remained unconvinced of his innocence.
5. The Two Men Had Been Feuding
On Wednesday of last week, Gaull filed a formal complaint against McAfee in the mayor’s office for firing guns and displaying “roguish behavior.” Interestingly, Faull has had some police troubles as well. In December 2009, he was charged with aggravated battery by the Seminole County (Florida) Sheriff’s Office.
6. He Went from Super-rich to Regular Rich
McAfee sold his stock in the company in 1994, two years after it went public, bringing in a fortune of $100 million. However, according to the New York Times, his worth has plummeted to a meek $4 million due to the crash of real estate and stock, and he began auctioning off his property for cash to pay his bills.
7. He is Seriously Paranoid
When interviewed in the Spring of last year by Gizmodo, he claimed that in the last year, there had been eleven attempts to kill or kidnap him. Proudly, he declared that good “hacker logic” led him to hire those who have attempted to harm him, thus performing a “public service” in his mind. When the interviewer Jeff Wise asked him to dinner, he replied, “Haven’t you been listening to me? I can’t leave my home after dark.”
8. He Founded McAfee Associates
Remember those warnings that would pop up on the lower right side of your PC screen saying your McAfee software has expired? The guy we’re talking about invented that company. After working as a software designer and consultant for NASA, Xerox and Lockheed, among other companies, he founded McAfee Associates, an anti-virus company, and was the first to use the the shareware business model to distribute anti-virus software. The company is now owned by Intel.
9. He’s A Jack of All Trades
So to speak. While working for his namesake, he was reportedly a heavy drinker and drug-user. After cashing out, he became a devoted thrill-seeker, racing ATVs, traveling across oceans by JetSki, and then creating a yoga retreat in Colorado where “everything was free,” according to a former student. He then invented “aerotrekking,” flying small planes above vast stretches of deserts, calling his group Sky Gypsies.
Jack of all trades, drug-addled psychopath with constantly shifting attention and prone to obsessions with dangerous activities — same thing.
10. He Rolls with Gangs & Recommends Rectal Insertion of Bath Salts
Gizmodo reports that his behavior has become erratic and he rubs elbows with notorious Belizean gangsters. What’s more, he’s frequently posted under the name “stuffmonger” on Bluelight, a Russian message board, about attempts to purify psychoactive drugs like bath salts, and recommends rectal insertion as the most effective way to use the drug.
