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John McAfee, founder of McAfee Associates and developer of the first antivirus software would have to be one of the most fascinating characters, principled but arguably has a unique set of values and jawdropping life experiences. In the eyes of some, he is a legend, for others, the most controversial figure that speaks his mind fervently.
McAfee has had an eventful working life starting out as a door to door salesman, progressing to silicon valley working for numerous tech companies, and a software developer and cryptanalyst, with his biggest claim to fame being McAfee Software, among other things. With a fascinating life comes fascinating anecdotes, very outspoken, nothing is off-limits, and now an avid cryptocurrency supporter with a focus on privacy, not only talking about it but doing something about it.
His life has also been filled with substance abuse, numerous lawsuits, and arrests including being involved and wanted for questioning in the murder of his neighbor in Belize in 2012. McAfee has incarcerated 21 times in 11 countries, albeit for non-violent crimes, always finding a loophole with the aid of his lawyers resulting in his release. On two occasions he faked a heart attack and a stroke to buy time for his defense. This guy is a regular Houdini.
McAfee tweets,
“My life has consisted of a series of close calls. Authorities call me "Slippery". I don't know. I only know that I will answer only to God. Not to man.”
In September 2015 he decided to start a new political party called The Cyber Party. He also ran for President in 2016, attempting to join the Libertarian Party, but he failed to win the nomination, with New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson winning it instead.
With over a million followers on Twitter and just because he can, McAfee announced on June 3, 2018, via Twitter that he would run for president again in 2020, either with the Libertarian Party or under the banner of a party of his own creation.
On January 22, 2019, McAfee announced that he would be continuing his campaign "in exile", following reports that he, his wife, and four of his campaign staff were being indicted for tax-related felonies by the IRS. McAfee indicated that he was in "international waters in his untraceable cage”
On March 4, 2020, McAfee ended his presidential campaign and endorsed Vermin Supreme, as he decided to run for the 2020 Libertarian Party vice-presidential race. The next day, McAfee tweeted that he was re-entering the 2020 Libertarian presidential primary after none of the other Libertarian candidates would “accept him as their VP running mate.” At the 2020 Libertarian National Convention, McAfee was not nominated for president or vice-president.
In April, McAfee announced that he would be the running mate of Adam Kokesh, a competitor for the nomination, and also endorsed him for president, even though McAfee decided to continue his campaign for the presidency.
In May, Jo Jorgensen was nominated at the 2020 Libertarian National Convention, thus suspending McAfee's campaign.
Too crazy to be elected, too rare to not be considered. The reality is McAfee doesn’t want the top job although he says would enjoy causing a stink and embarrassing the candidates on stage in the debates. He will also continue to challenge and debate on his Twitter feed. At his first AMA with the Libertarian Party, he says he does not consider himself a top presidential candidate, saying,
“I don’t want to be president. Who wants that job? We have bigger problems, people. The presidents’ lost their power back in 1960 and today they are called transients by the real manipulators and influencers who are the departments and agencies like the CIA filled with career people at the highest level who never retire…]”
In addition to that, he says
“manipulation and influence have become institutionalized in our government”. Please people, if anybody out there thinks that I especially can ever be president of the United States, move, please, out of your mother’s basement and see the real world”.
He goes on to explain what we as a nation can do. We can change the hearts, the minds, and the perceptions of the American public if we are realistic. Anyone can run for president and deservedly be in the spotlight but for a Libertarian to actually win the election, in a predominantly two-party preferred race it’s not realistic.
“Victory is not winning the presidency, victory is being true to your beliefs and acting as you believe and letting the world see that. Please God, let us be real in this election”.
McAfee has been on the run from the US government for alleged charges of tax evasion narrowingly escaping arrest on several occasions. He admits he hasn’t paid income tax for 11 years, and the government actually ignored him for 8 of those years, until he was discovered giving talks about how to avoid paying income tax. In an interview with news.bitcoin.com, John McAfee believes and states,
“I’ve already paid over $50 million in taxes in my lifetime. I have not received $50 million in services. If anything I should be the one asking for a f*****g refund.”
He goes on to say that not filing a tax return is not an offense, but not being truthful about the ones you do submit is. McAfee has not filed a tax return and believes his arrest would be unlawful.
He also says,
“Income taxes in my mind and heart, as I see the reality around us, are unconstitutional, illegal, and it pushed us back into a feudal society of over 1,000 years ago. Because what is a feudal society? One in which you belong to the king.”
McAfee and his wife Janice are staying one step ahead of the IRS and now also the SEC in light of McAfee DEX, his decentralized exchange which he launched last year, and according to McAfee are two of the most corrupt agencies of the US government.
In a recent interview he explains that when he worked for MGT Capital Investments, a technology holding company, these agencies went after the $800 million company just to get him, which destroyed the company. They got wind of the fact McAfee was speaking out on international stages on how to avoid paying taxes by using cryptocurrency. Consequently, McAfee resigned amicably and was extremely apologetic to MGT.
“They’re supposed to protect shareholders and just because they want me, thousands of stockholders lost everything. That’s corruption if you ask me.”
Still underground where no one, not even family knows where they are, John and Janice McAfee post disinformation on his twitter feed so no one can track them. They may travel for a day, take photos, then come back to their hideout, post the photos saying "here we are.” He also claims to have 7 body doubles and Janice has 6. However, MacAfee makes no secret that they are in a Russian speaking country, but where that is exactly, is anyone’s guess.
McAfee has changed his mind about his infamous bitcoin prediction and declaration that had the world talking, calling his previous prediction of Bitcoin hitting $1 million by the end of 2020 as total nonsense adding that people who believed in the absurd forecast should wake up.
In a tweet, he stated correlating the entire North American continent GDP as an example to explain why his prediction was just a joke saying,
“If Bitcoin ever hit $1 mil, it's market cap would be greater than the GDP of the entire North American Continent.”
In another tweet, McAfee described Bitcoin as “ancient” tech and his prediction on the price going to $1 million was simply his trick to lure new users into the crypto space.
“Bitcoin was first. It's an ancient technology. All know it. Newer blockchains have privacy, smart contracts, distributed apps and more.”
John McAfee, the cybersecurity mogul turned fugitive is still making waves and creating innovations that even have NASDAQ intrigued with his latest controversial project - the world’s first fully untraceable 4G data service titled “The Ghost Cell Phone Data Service.”
This operates through electronic SIM technology, which allows phones to connect to a special data service network without the use of a physical SIM card. The special data service network is constructed from a number of technologies that make it impossible for connections to be tracked or traced.
Whilst only supported phones will be able to access the network, the offering is already poised to support some of the world’s most popular models, including a number of Google, Samsung, and iPhone handsets.
Phone owners will be able to access the service without having to supply any personal information. The service is prepaid, without any contract, and only requires users to scan a QR code supplied upon purchase to connect.
The service forms part of McAfee’s new Ghost ecosystem, which currently includes Ghost cryptocurrency and the GhostX Exchange. GHOST is a Proof of Stake privacy coin to help make you nothing but a "ghost" when transacting online!
McAfee is now reportedly looking for members of the mainstream media who are interested in the service to take part in the beta-testing stage, with global launch expected in September.
It seems that John McAfee always has something in the works including an autobiography that will be published next year and forthcoming movie. But according to him he and his wife now lead a boring life in exile watching the television for about 6 hours a day including the show, "The Family Guy". Now at 74 years old, still drinking like a fish and smoking like a trouper, so what’s his secret?
McAfee describes himself as an explorer, an entrepreneur, lover of life, a lover of freedom, and very no-nonsense in spite of the absurdity of his colorful life. He just wants people to “wake up” and will continue to be outspoken on various issues, doing whatever he can to level the playing field, helping people to take back their freedom and fight tyranny and oppression.
Deb Williams
A Crypto/Blockchain enthusiast and a strong advocate for technology, progress, and freedom of speech. I embrace "change" with a passion and my purpose in life is to help people understand, accept, and move forward with enthusiasm to achieve their goals.
