British tech billionaire, Mike Lynch, 59, is among the missing persons following the tragic sinking of a luxury yacht in the early hours of Monday, August 19.
According to the criteria of
The accident took place near the coast of Palermoon the Italian island of Sicily, according to Agence France Presse.
A total of 12 passengers and 10 crew members were on board, several of whom remain unaccounted for, while Lynch’s wife, Angela Bacares, was rescued alive, according to a source close to the incident.
Unforeseen storm and local testimonies
Residents of the region have taken to social media to describe the unusual weather conditions that were experienced during the accident. According to the statements of a Palermo Coast Guard officer, “the wind was very strong. Bad weather was expected, but not of this magnitude.”
🚁 There were 22 people on board the yacht, including 10 crew and 12 passengers of British, American and Canadian nationality. Among the missing is Mike Lynch, a renowned British technology entrepreneur. Those rescued include Lynch’s wife,… pic.twitter.com/fh5ltU1v3s
— The Broken Chair (@lasillarota) August 20, 2024
Who is Mike Lynch?
Mike Lynch has been described as the ‘British Bill Gates’ for his contribution to the UK technology industry. Born in Ilford, a town east of London, Lynch grew up in Chelmsford, Essex. According to CNBC, Lynch studied natural sciences at the prestigious University of Cambridge, and later earned a PhD in signal processing and communications.
Lynch co-founded Autonomy, a successful software company which was sold in 2011 to Hewlett-Packard (HP) for the sum of 11 billion dollars, in an effort by the American company to expand its presence in the software sector. However, this transaction generated disputes, as it was marked by allegations of accounting fraud involving Lynch.
Legal problems and confrontation with HP
In 2023, Mike Lynch was extradited to the United States to face trial on fraud charges related to the sale of AutonomyDespite multiple accusations, he was acquitted of all 15 charges brought against him in a San Francisco court in June this year.
During the trial, Lynch expressed fear of being jailed, saying his health, affected by a lung disease, would complicate his situation. “I have a number of medical problems that would make my survival very difficult,” he confessed in an interview with the ‘Sunday Times’ newspaper.
According to Reuters, Lynch blames HP for ruining the integration of the two companies.
The evolution of his career and his new project
After the conflict with HP, in 2012, Lynch decided to move forward with new projects and co-founded Invoke Capital, a venture capital firm focused on supporting European startupsthus strengthening its influence in the technological world.
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*This content was rewritten with the assistance of artificial intelligence, based on information from O Globo, and was reviewed by a journalist and an editor.
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