John McAfee
Built the first commercial antivirus and walked away with millions; the following three decades defy summary.
John McAfee was born in 1945 in Cinderford, England (raised in Salem, Virginia). John McAfee's background is described as English-born to a US Army father and English mother. Growing up, the family was working class — his alcoholic father shot himself when John was 15 — a wound he spoke of for the rest of his life. Built the first commercial antivirus and walked away with millions; the following three decades defy summary.
- Born
- 1945 · Cinderford, England (raised in Salem, Virginia)
- Roots
- English-born to a US Army father and English mother
- Family
- Working class
- His alcoholic father shot himself when John was 15 — a wound he spoke of for the rest of his life.
- Education
- Roanoke College (mathematics); a doctoral program ended in expulsion, by his account
- Started with
- A magazine article
- Read about the 'Brain' computer virus in 1986 and started selling protection from his living room the next year.
- Affiliations & societies
- Libertarian PartyDocumented
- Sought the party's US presidential nomination in 2016 and 2020.
- Information only — claims like these are often unverifiable and may be wrong.
The pathway
- 1968 · age 22Programmer years
NASA contractors, Univac, Xerox — alongside, by his own accounts, prodigious drug use.
- 1987 · age 41McAfee Associates
The first commercial antivirus, distributed as shareware from his home.
- 1992 · age 46The Michelangelo panic~$100M
His doomsday estimates for the virus are widely criticized — and sales soar; he exits with a reported ~$100M by 1994.
- 2008 · age 62Fortune gone, Belize next
The crash cuts his wealth to a reported $4M; he relocates to a jungle compound.
- 2012 · age 67Flight from Belize
Named a person of interest — never charged — after a neighbor's murder, he flees the country in disguise.
- 2020 · age 74Arrested in Spain
US tax-evasion charges after years promoting cryptocurrencies for pay.
- 2021 · age 75Dies in a Barcelona cell
Hours after extradition is approved; ruled suicide, doubted loudly by his followers — a doubt he himself had seeded with a tattoo.
Frequently asked questions
Where is John McAfee from?
John McAfee was born in 1945 in Cinderford, England (raised in Salem, Virginia). Their background is described as English-born to a US Army father and English mother.
When was John McAfee born?
John McAfee was born in 1945, in Cinderford, England (raised in Salem, Virginia).
What is John McAfee's background or ethnicity?
John McAfee's roots are described as English-born to a US Army father and English mother. These are broad categories drawn from public sources, not statements about how the person identifies.
Where did John McAfee go to school?
John McAfee's education: Roanoke College (mathematics); a doctoral program ended in expulsion, by his account.
What was John McAfee's family background growing up?
At birth the family was working class. His alcoholic father shot himself when John was 15 — a wound he spoke of for the rest of his life.
How did John McAfee get started?
John McAfee started with a magazine article. Read about the 'Brain' computer virus in 1986 and started selling protection from his living room the next year.
Sources
Compiled from these references and contemporaneous press reporting. Figures are approximate; verify before relying on them.