GUN-TOTING John McAfee was seen posing on a yacht beside his wife, just days before being detained for taking weapons and ammunition into the Dominican Republic in 2019.
Gloucestershire-born McAfee — who was found dead in jail at age 75 — had planned to enter the 2020 US presidential race and spent his younger years drinking heavily and snorting cocaine daily.
Read our John McAfee live blog for the latest news and updates...
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Gun-toting John McAfee wields a rifle on a yacht days before his 2019 arrest Credit: Twitter
His death, reportedly by hanging, was reported just hours after Spain's National Court approved his extradition to the US, where he is wanted on tax-related criminal charges that carried a prison sentence of up to 30 years.
The decision could have been appealed and the final extradition would have needed to be approved by the Spanish Cabinet.
Meanwhile, his wife had warned that authorities were "determined" he would die in prison just days before his death.
And McAfee's 2019 arrest followed a long line of scandals. It also followed accusations that he was involved in a jungle murder and was the target of several CIA "chases."
He went on to make $84million (￡60million) through his cyber-security software brand — and moved to the jungle with a harem of seven young women — which he said was "less stressful" than being married.
He also bought a luxury yacht, started injecting testosterone in his bum to keep up with his young lovers and eventually married a prostitute — although he refused to use porn sites due to the virus risk.
The tycoon, who was once dubbed the "world's most wanted man," claimed he'd been the target of "assassination" attempts in Central America and that the CIA were trying to hunt him down.
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The tech guru poses bare-chested in a jail cell in the Dominican Republic Credit: Twitter/officialmcafee 24
The former playboy is pictured with two women during his time in Central America
He was then on the run from US authorities after refusing to pay millions in tax because he considers it "unconstitutional and illegal."
In 2019, McAfee claimed he'd escaped to London after Dominican officials released him from jail — but he fled just two days later in search of "complete safety."
Now, as the 75-year-old tech mogul allegedly took his own life in Barcelona, his lawyer confirmed on Wednesday, we look at his very bizarre life.
Childhood abuse and a party drug habit
McAfee's fear and paranoia began during his childhood when he claimed he'd often receive beatings from his "abusive and alcoholic" dad.
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McAfee was born in the UK, but moved to Virginia, US, with his family as a child
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He shared this picture with his daughter on Twitter in 1972 Credit: Facebook
But when he was 15, his former soldier father shot himself dead, and over the following years, McAfee himself began drinking heavily.
Despite managing to graduate from college, he ended up getting kicked off his mathematics PhD after he was caught sleeping with an undergraduate he was mentoring.
Dropping acid before work
He took on a series of programming jobs instead — but soon developed a love of drugs, particularly LSD. According to Wired, he'd drop acid in the morning before heading off to work.
On one harrowing occasion, McAfee snorted an entire bag of a psychedelic powder called DMT. He was found hiding behind a rubbish bin, convinced he could hear voices.
Over the next few years, his drug habit escalated, and McAfee found himself doing lines of cocaine at work most days.
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McAfee is seen surrounded by women in a bizarre parody video
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McAfee, pictured in 2012, was once on the run from US tax authorities Credit: Rex Features
Unsurprisingly, things eventually came to a head in the early 1980s when his wife left him and he was sacked.
Contemplating taking his own life like his dad, McAfee finally sought the help he needed to get sober and landed a job as a software engineer for defense contractor Lockheed Martin.
While there, he came across the first-known computer virus. He tried to crack it himself — with his success propelling him towards fame and fortune.
Playboy lifestyle funded by $84m (￡60m) sale
By 1987, McAfee had established himself as the world's leading antivirus expert and founded McAfee Associates, with his antivirus product becoming an instant hit. Seven years later, he sold his stake to Intel, netting around $84million (￡60million).
With his fortune, McAfee splashed out on properties in Hawaii, Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico, as well as antique cars and a fleet of planes.
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The tattooed tech guru used to do cocaine at work most days as he battled a drugs habit Credit: Instagram
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McAfee founded the revolutionary computer company, McAfee Associates, bearing his name Credit: Alamy
In a particularly eccentric move, he also set up a "sex yoga ashram" school.
But after the economic collapse in 2008, bad boy McAfee auctioned off all his belongings, and moved to the Central American jungle, where he bought a villa in picturesque Belize.
A harem of seven women in the jungle and buttocks injections
Desperate to keep old age at bay, the increasingly wacky tycoon would allegedly inject testosterone into his buttocks every other week.
He was also joined in the country by a harem of seven much younger women.
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McAfee posted images on his blog of his harem of women Credit: http://www.whoismcafee.com 24
The bizarre images show the women posing in bikinis and with cuddly toys Credit: http://www.whoismcafee.com
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Belize, then home to under 190,000 people, is on the north eastern coast of Central America
“Some people think it is horrendous that I lived with seven women aged between 18 and 25,” McAfee would later tell The Sun. “People can think what they want. The women all got along."
He also bizarrely revealed one of his lovers, a teen called Amy, had tried to shoot him.
"She tried to kill me when we first met, although we got over that," he said.
"They only have sex with me"
Despite his playboy antics, McAfee never went on porn sites in case he got a virus.
"I just don't go there," he once told the BBC.
During his time in Belize, the businessman started up an antibiotics company and began posting on drug-taking message boards about attempts to purify the compounds within bath salts, Gizmodo reports.
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Other images posted on McAfee's blog show him cuddled up to women Credit: http://www.whoismcafee.com 24
The businessman, seen smiling with a gun, started up an antibiotics company in Belize Credit: Instagram
His business venture turned to ruin when local cops raided his company lab in search of evidence of drug-making.
They found a cache of weapons and $21,000 (￡15,000) in cash, but no illegal drugs.
Claims of a "conspiracy" to kill him
According to McAfee, the raid marked the beginning of a "conspiracy" to destroy him — something he believes was revenge for his refusal to be extorted by the Belizean government.
He even claimed the authorities were trying to kill him. Belize's Prime Minister Dean Barrow has dismissed McAfee's allegations, labeling him “extremely paranoid, even bonkers," news.com.au reported.
In 2012, McAfee was deemed a "person of interest" by the nation's police when his neighbor Gregory Faull was discovered shot dead in a pool of blood.
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McAfee has been deemed a "person of interest" in the killing of his former neighbor Credit: Facebook 24
Gregory Faull, pictured, was discovered shot dead in a pool of blood Credit: AFP
Officers called by McAfee's home, but there was no sight of him.
The tycoon, who has admitted American Mr Faull "was not my favorite person" but has denied any involvement in his death, would later claim he buried himself in the sand to evade police.
He fled Belize but was arrested in Guatemala in December 2012.
A fake heart attack to give his lawyer more time
He was charged with illegally entering the country, but faked a heart attack "to buy some time" so his lawyer could stop him from being deported back to Belize.
The plan seemingly worked — days later, McAfee was sent to the US.
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McAfee is seen lying in a stretcher after allegedly experiencing heart issues following his arrest in Guatemala Credit: Reuters 24
McAfee talks to the media in December 2012 after arriving in Florida, US, from Guatemala Credit: Getty Images - Getty
Shortly after, McAfee met his wife Janice in Miami Beach, Florida, when he hired her as a prostitute with money loaned to him by a friend, and the pair tied the knot in 2013.
But the drama wasn't over yet.
The same year, McAfee uploaded a parody video, "How to Uninstall McAfee Antivirus," showing him criticizing McAfee software while snorting powder and surrounded by women.
Dark allegations of rape and murder
And three years later, he was at the center of another scandal when the Showtime documentary, "Gringo: The dangerous life of John McAfee," was released.
It alleged he drugged and raped a former business partner, and committed murder —accusations McAfee has vehemently denied.
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McAfee and wife Janice, whom he met when he hired her as a prostitute with money loaned to him by a friend Credit: Instagram
McAfee was then served with a subpoena by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), reported to be related to his involvement in cyber-currencies. He told Reuters he did not pay income tax for eight years for ideological reasons and was indicted.
The following year, McAfee and his wife revealed they were living in a Tennessee compound with a 24/7 armed bodyguard, claiming they had been followed for the past four years.
An alleged poisoning
The same year, McAfee claimed he had been targeted in a poisoning "assassination attempt," posting images on Twitter purportedly showing him on life support in hospital.
"I am more difficult to kill than anyone can possibly imagine," he wrote.
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McAfee shared this picture purportedly showing him on life support in North Carolina Credit: Twitter 24
He claimed he had been poisoned in an 'assassination attempt' Credit: Twitter
In 2019, McAfee left his heavily-fortified compound and took off on a yacht to avoid trial, along with Janice, their four large dogs, two security staff and seven staff.
The tycoon — who has previously claimed he's fathered 47 kids — left the States for the Bahamas, then Cuba, after suspecting US law enforcement were trying to extradite him.
But the businessman was detained in 2019 with Janice and his crew in the Dominican Republic — just days after claiming on Twitter that the CIA had tried to "collect" him.
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McAfee is pictured on his yacht, anchored at the Marina Hemingway in Havana, on June 26 this year Credit: AFP or licensors
His Twitter feed was taken over by a friend, who warned "if John misses his next check-in, events will be set into motion."
Detained for four days by Dominican authorities
McAfee and his crew were detained for four days, before initially being released on July 24, 2019. But the day after, McAfee claimed to have been arrested for the second time in a week.
He shared photos of himself on Twitter, with his arms around his captors — along with the bare-chested image of him in a cell, which Janice deemed her "favorite."
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McAfee posted these images on Twitter after his arrest, saying he'd been 'well treated' Credit: Twitter/officialmcafee 24
He claimed he was arrested two times in a week Credit: Twitter/officialmcafee
He claimed he had smuggled a phone into the jail by "sleight of hand," adding: "If my hands were bigger I could have smuggled a Bangkok prostitute in with me."
A trip to London with "guards"
Soon after, McAfee revealed he and Janice had landed in London, with pictures purportedly showing the pair visiting a restaurant and in a hotel room with some "guards."
"The bad guys never came close," the tycoon tweeted.
.@PHTTOKENX and @OlexKP kept guard in our room last night in London. The bad guys never came close. We are out of England now and on our way to complete safety. We will not be silenced. pic.twitter.com/SYqqGf6uOJ
— John McAfee (@officialmcafee) July 28, 2019
Sorry for the silence. @theemrsmcafee and I are now in Eastern Europe at an ultra-secure facility. We are, for now, out of reach of the corrupt elements of the (In-)Justice Department. We are healthy and safe. Have missed you guys. Will tell more later. pic.twitter.com/oFtjQApU3v
— John McAfee (@officialmcafee) July 30, 2019
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McAfee fled once more, to the secret, fortified facility in Lithuania — after claiming the "long arm of the US" was trying to get him in Britain.
And while it was unclear exactly where this facility was, he claimed: "There is an underground network of corrupt national officials that is used by the CIA for nefarious purposes. I will soon illuminate it."
Tech mogul John McAfee says 'power corrupts' in vid posted almost a year before his death in prison after Spanish court approves extradition on tax charges