Antivirus software is the first thing that pops into mind when we hear McAfee. John David McAfee, the founder of the popular antivirus solution has passed away in a Spanish prison after the Spanish court refused his extradition to the US on tax-evasion charges. The namesake McAfee antivirus software is popularly used across the world.
The 75-year-old McAfee's death was confirmed by his lawyers. Looking back, the McAfee antivirus software surged in popularity back in the 90s. As one of the free antivirus solution providers, even if on a trial basis, the software has become immensely popular over the years.
However, the founder McAfee hasn't had it good in recent years. He lost most of his fortune in the 2008 market crash and was arrested a couple of times in several countries. In 2020, he was finally detained in Spain after prosecutors in the US accused him of tax evasion for several years. He was also given a prison sentence of 30 years.
When you buy a new laptop or PC with an Intel chipset, you'll mostly get a McAfee antivirus software pre-installed in it for free, at least for a trial basis. Back in 1987, McAfee Associates, a software company was established in John David McAfee's home in California. The company began developing computer security solutions to combat a computer virus called Brian that would attack personal computers.
McAfee went on to create antivirus programs that became quite popular with personal computers as well as work systems. By 1990, the company's assets and revenue boosted to about USD 5 million. The company later went public in 1992 and John David McAfee resigned in 1994. Much later in 2010, Intel bought the company and later sold its majority stake to an investment firm.
The death of John David McAfee comes as a shocker, who has been leading a life on the move, evading the police and arrest warrants. Yet, his namesake antivirus software will continue to be a household name for generations to come, defending PCs and other gadgets from disastrous virus attacks.
