Antivirus tycoon John McAfee found dead in Spanish prison

Antivirus software creator John McAfee was found dead in a Spanish prison Wednesday evening after what officials call an apparent suicide.

The eccentric entrepreneur was found dead mere hours after reports emerged that a court approved his extradition to the United States on tax-related federal charges that carried a prison sentence of up to 30 years, reports AP.

Spanish newspaper El Pais reports that McAfee was pulled from his cell in Barcelona and police continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding his death.

The 75-year-old software tycoon was slammed with a 10-count indictment in October by Tennessee prosecutors for allegedly evading taxes on income made from promoting cryptocurrencies while he did consultancy work, including income from speaking appearances and selling the rights to tell his life story for a documentary.

He also faced charges for a separate indictment in a Manhattan federal court for a so-called cryptocurrency pump-and-dump that he posted about on social media.

However, being jailed did not stop McAfee from regularly posting to Twitter on a near-daily basis.

Last Thursday, McAfee tweeted that “I have nothing. Yet, I regret nothing,” and noted:

“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.”

McAfee, who launched bid to run for president on a Libertarian platform in 2016 and 2020, claimed that the charges against him were politically motivated and expressed fear that he would spend the last of his days in prison were he to be extradited to the U.S.