John Mcafee Net Worth

Think of antivirus software, and your mind immediately goes to McAfee – but what do you know about the man behind the brand? John McAfee is a colorful character, and the minds behind the popular software have an exciting story.

He was the founder of a software company that still uses his name. He made a fortune by selling computer products in the 80s and early 90s. He has been through several highs and lows – both professionally and personally, but that hasn’t stopped him from being one of the richest men in the tech world.

So, just how much was John McAfee worth?

Early Life

John David McAfee was born in 1945 in the United Kingdom to an American father and a British mother. When he was young, his family moved to Salem, Virginia, eventually settling in Lexington, Kentucky. He showed an early interest in mathematics and science and went on to study at Moorhead State University. He dropped out after two years to join the United States Army, where he worked as a medic during the Vietnam War. After his time in the army, he moved to Japan, where he taught English for a short time. He then moved back to the United States and started working as a programmer for NASA. During his time at NASA, he developed an interest in computers and started to develop his own computer programs. He then left NASA to start his own software company, McAfee Associates, in 1987.

McAfee Associates was one of the first companies to develop and sell antivirus software. The company was successful; within a few years, it had grown to employ over 300 people. In 1992, John McAfee sold his stake in the company for $100 million. He then set up several other businesses, including an investment firm and a private detective agency, and worked as a software consultant. 

What is John McAfee’s Net Worth?

At the time of his death in 2021, John McAfee’s net worth was estimated to be $4 million. However, this does not paint an accurate picture of his actual wealth as he has been through several highs and lows during his lifetime. Forbes magazine estimated his net worth to be $100 million, but this was before he lost a large chunk of his fortune in the 2008 financial crisis.

While running for President, John McAfee claimed to be a billionaire but failed to provide any proof of this. He made a series of bad investments that cost McAfee millions, most notably selling a Colorado estate valued at $25 million for a measly $5.7 million in 2013. He also lost a lot of his wealth in 2012 while fleeing the Belize police, who wanted to question him about the murder of his neighbor.

While the $4 million is what records show, many speculate that he made much more money by supporting cryptocurrencies, thus putting his true net worth much higher. Even though he could never prove that he was a billionaire, there is no doubt that John McAfee was a wealthy man.