'Have Nothing': John McAfee Was Allegedly Penniless When He Died
© REUTERS / Darrin Zammit Lupi
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The fate of McAfee's wealth was apparently linked to "absolutely bizarre properties" he had built, some of which he ended up selling at a loss.
John McAfee, famous businessman and anti-virus software author who was found dead in his jail cell in Spain last month, was virtually broke by the time of his demise, the Daily Mail reports citing Mark Eglinton, an author who "collaborated with McAfee on a book for six months".
According to the newspaper, Eglinton said McAfee was even unable to pay him the advance money the former requested to "cover his costs prior to sealing a book deal", which apparently "was not a large amount".
"We got a lot into where he spent his money over the years", the author said. "He had his money in very safe investments, but he built houses, absolutely bizarre properties".
As the newspaper points out, some of these properties ended up being sold by McAfee "at a tremendous loss" due to property values contracting during the Great Recession.
"The $100 million I got out of McAfee [Antivirus], that goes very quickly", Eglinton quotes McAfee as telling him.
The newspaper also notes that, mere days before he was found dead, McAfee tweeted that he has no "hidden crypto" and that his remaining assets had been seized.
The US believes I have hidden crypto. I wish I did but it has dissolved through the many hands of Team McAfee (your belief is not required), and my remaining assets are all seized. My friends evaporated through fear of association.
— John McAfee (@officialmcafee) June 16, 2021
I have nothing.
Yet, I regret nothing.
As the collaboration between him and McAfee fell through, Eglinton now remains the sole author of the book, "No Domain: The John McAfee Tapes", which is expected to be published in December.
