The Story of John McAfee

McAfee Antivirus might be more popular in conventional circles than its creator John McAfee but that is only because he is such a fascinating character and his particular brand of personality might be more popular in unorthodox circles instead. Being a tech guru may sound like it makes him an automatically interesting individual, but McAfee is more than just eccentric. This feature delves into some of the front-page, newsworthy highlights of his life and it reveals quite the profile of the man.

Before he founded his tech company, McAfee was a casual and frequent drug user. We get to see some of his interesting experiences and one particularly life-changing encounter he had while on drugs that may or may not have permanently altered his perception of reality. It was after he found his way to AA meetings that he became sober and started living a more typical life, at least for a while.

It was after this that he founded the company bearing his name. His employees had a lot to say about the type of culture he fostered there and it was anything but normal. Still, he sold his shares in the company soon after to move on to more interesting pursuits.

His steps after forming his company saw him embarking on a journey that took him from advising startups, lecturing, founding other startups, and writing books before ending up in Belize on the run from the government. His run-ins with the law are many and range from implications of murder to possession of illegal weapons. His time in Belize even saw attempts being made on his life. Despite the controversy, he legitimately ended up running for US President in the 2020 elections.