This is John McAfee.
He made $100M from the world's first antivirus...
Then became crypto's most notorious fugitive.
Here's the wild story of tech's craziest billionaire:
In the 1970s, McAfee was just another Silicon Valley engineer.
But he had a problem:
He was showing up to work with a bottle of scotch and cocaine on his desk every day.
Rock bottom came in 1983.
By 1986, he noticed something new:
Computer viruses were starting to spread.
While others panicked, McAfee saw an opportunity.
He launched McAfee Associates from his home, creating the world's first commercial antivirus software.
His timing was perfect:
In 1992, rumors spread of a devastating virus called "Michelangelo" that would infect 5M computers.
McAfee went on every news station warning about it.
The result? His company went public, and he walked away with $100M two years later.
But that's when things got weird…
After losing most of his wealth in the 2008 crash, McAfee moved to Belize and built a compound featuring:
• Armed security 24/7
• A personal "chemical research lab"
• A fleet of luxury cars
• 12 aggressive guard dogs
• Private yacht access
In 2012, his neighbor was found dead.
Instead of talking to police, McAfee:
• Dyed his hair black
• Faked a heart attack
• Fled to Guatemala
• Lived on a boat
• Claimed the government was after him
The media called him paranoid, while he called himself "prepared."
By 2017, he'd reinvented himself as a crypto guru.
His most famous prediction?
He bet he'd eat his own body part on live TV if Bitcoin didn't hit $500k by 2020.
(Spoiler: It didn't, and he didn't follow through)
In 2020, his crypto empire crumbled.
The SEC revealed he'd been paid millions to promote crypto projects without disclosing it.
Then the DOJ charged him with tax evasion for millions in unreported income.
He was arrested in Spain that October.
In 2021, McAfee was found dead in a Spanish prison cell while awaiting extradition for tax evasion.
From tech pioneer to crypto prophet to international fugitive...
His wild journey shows how thin the line is between genius and madness.
The lesson?
Even geniuses can lose everything to:
• Poor risk management
• Emotional decisions
• Lack of discipline
• Overconfidence
Success without stability is just a ticking time bomb.
Want to learn how to build sustainable wealth through smart trading?
Follow @TheForexComplex for daily insights on trading, risk management, and financial freedom.
