Tech entrepreneur John McAfee's controversial life is the focus of Netflix's upcoming documentary, Running with the Devil: The Wild World of John McAfee. The documentary focuses on the mysterious and complicated aspects of his life. It features interviews with various people who knew McAfee closely, providing an insight into his personality.
The documentary is directed by Charlie Russell and produced by Curious Films. The co-founder of Curious Films, Dov Freedman, serves as the executive producer of the documentary.
McAfee lived in Belize for many years but fled the country following the mysterious murder of his neighbor Gregory Faull and was considered a person of interest in the case. He also faced tax evasion charges, for which he was arrested in October 2020. Read on to find out more details about McAfee's various legal issues throughout his life.
Running with the Devil: The Wild World of John McAfee: John McAfee's legal issues, arrest, and more
McAfee was a prominent tech businessman widely known for inventing the McAfee anti-virus software. However, in later years, he became fiercely critical of the software and reportedly urged users across the globe to uninstall it.
Over the years, McAfee has had various run-ins with the law. In 2008, he was involved in a lawsuit over the death of his nephew, Joel Gordon Bitow, and a man named Robert Gilson, both of whom died in an aircraft accident. He was never convicted in the case.
Perhaps the most notorious case associated with McAfee was the murder of his neighbor, Gregory Faull, in 2012. The tech businessman became a person of interest during the investigation and soon fled Belize. Things took a turn when a reporter for the noted magazine, Vice, took a photo with McAfee in Guatemala, accidentally revealing the location.
He was later arrested in Guatemala for illegally getting into the country but was sent back to the United States a few days later. In 2013, Gregory Faull's daughter reportedly filed a wrongful death lawsuit against McAfee concerning her father's death. The court reportedly ordered the businessman to give $25 million in damages, but he never paid. Meanwhile, he also ran for President in 2016 and 2020 but lost on both occasions.
Running with the Devil: The Wild World of John McAfee: Was John McAfee convicted of any charges?
Another controversy emerged in 2019 when McAfee openly admitted that he hadn't filed a tax return since 2010. In October 2020, he was arrested in Spain and charged with tax evasion. According to The New York Times, federal prosecutors allegedly argued that the prominent businessman did not file his tax returns for four years from 2014-18, a period during which he allegedly earned millions from ''promoting cryptocurrencies, consulting work, speaking engagements and selling the rights to his life story for a documentary.''
He was incarcerated in prison near Barcelona, Spain. On June 23, 2021, the business magnate was found dead in his cell. Although his sudden death led to several conspiracy theories, a Spanish court ruled earlier this year that McAfee had died by suicide. He was 75 years old.
Don't miss Running with the Devil: The Wild World of John McAfee on Netflix on Wednesday, August 24, 2022.