On 18 September 1945, British-American computer programmer, businessman, and two-time presidential candidate, John David McAfee, was born. In 1967, McAfee received a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Roanoke College in Virginia, which subsequently awarded him an honorary Doctor of Science degree in 2008. After receiving his bachelor's degree, McAfee began working towards a doctorate in mathematics at Northeast Louisiana State College but was expelled, in about 1968. In 1987, he wrote the first commercial anti-virus software, founding McAfee Associates to sell his creation. In 1994, he resigned and sold his remaining stake in the company. McAfee became the company's most vocal critic in later years, urging consumers to uninstall the company's anti-virus software, which he characterized as bloatware. He disavowed the company's continued use of his name in branding, a practice that has persisted in spite of a short-lived corporate rebrand attempt under Intel ownership. McAfee's fortunes plummeted in the financial crisis of 2007–2008. After leaving McAfee Associates, he founded the companies Tribal Voice (makers of the PowWow chat program), QuorumEx, and Future Tense Central, among others, and was involved in leadership positions in the companies Everykey, MGT Capital Investments, and Luxcore, among others. His personal and business interests included smartphone apps, cryptocurrency, yoga, light-sport aircraft and recreational drug use. He resided for a number of years in Belize, but returned to the United States in 2013 while wanted in Belize for questioning on suspicion of murder. In October 2020, McAfee was arrested in Spain over U.S. tax evasion charges. U.S. federal prosecutors brought criminal and civil charges alleging that McAfee had failed to file income taxes over a four-year period. On 23 June 2021, he was found dead due to an apparent suicide by hanging in his prison cell near Barcelona shortly after the Spanish National Court authorized his extradition to the U.S. His death generated speculation and conspiracy theories about the possibility that he was murdered. McAfee's wife, Janice McAfee, said she did not believe McAfee committed suicide, and claimed the suicide note was a forgery.
The testimony from some of McAfee's victims is brave and compelling, but the film feels like a strange mixture, simultaneously salacious and dull. The film is an extremely important testament to one of the most outrageous figures in history. While we watch it, it is impossible not to experience a roller coaster of emotions: disgust. A lurid and superficial overview straight out of a James Patterson thriller. McAfee's victims, who tell their stories in heartbreaking detail, deserve more than further exploitation in service of true crime content. Ultimately, the film makes no grand claims to unveiling any kind of truth, but instead settles itself with a grim catalogue of a depraved figure who escaped justice.
Simon says Running with the Devil: The Wild World of John McAfee receives:
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