Going by reports, John McAfee died last week in a Spanish prison. If it sounds as if I’m not convinced, that’s because there’s a lot about the man that is shrouded in mystery, and hard to know for sure. By his own admission, he once faked a heart attack to escape deportation.
Scanning the obituaries that have followed, I noticed a certain pattern. While they have a mention of his more substantive accomplishments from long ago, they are dominated by the news-making events of the past 10 years or so: from his extreme lifestyle choices to his crypto currency entanglements, from being a fugitive from justice to running for the US presidency, to falling foul of the law again. That may seem to be a comment on the media’s priorities. But the bigger truth is that it stems from the narrative that McAfee himself sought to present, and thus reflects how influential he was in doing so.
Many remember him for this bizarre message video that he put out in 2013. On the face of it, it appears to tie in with his projected, and perceived image of a fun-loving, eccentric innovator and businessman. Yet I suspect that it was, in no small measure, an attempt to play down/ deflect attention from the murder charges against him from a year earlier.
For anyone seeking a less-biased perspective of the man, I recommend the 2016 documentary, Gringo: The Dangerous Life of John McAfee, along with a conversation with the director. For those who prefer something to read, I recommend a 2013 piece, Dancing with a Madman.
