1 00:00:00,880 --> 00:00:05,560 Speaker 1: Francois Garcia is a Canadian filmmaker. He purchased the rights 2 00:00:05,600 --> 00:00:09,240 Speaker 1: to make a documentary based on John mccafee's life in 3 00:00:09,360 --> 00:00:14,320 Speaker 1: late twenty twelve, about two months after McAfee's neighbor in 4 00:00:14,440 --> 00:00:18,520 Speaker 1: Belize turned up dead, and over the next couple of 5 00:00:18,600 --> 00:00:21,840 Speaker 1: years he would try to line up meetings with people 6 00:00:22,040 --> 00:00:26,319 Speaker 1: in the film industry. Never stood involved. We're talking to 7 00:00:27,320 --> 00:00:31,880 Speaker 1: several high profile directors as well, So idol, John, I 8 00:00:31,920 --> 00:00:34,520 Speaker 1: want to set up a meeting. You guys can chat. 9 00:00:36,360 --> 00:00:42,200 Speaker 1: Francois says that during this period, John mccafee was taking bathsols, 10 00:00:42,880 --> 00:00:47,919 Speaker 1: a very addictive synthetic drug known to cause euphoric highs 11 00:00:47,960 --> 00:00:52,080 Speaker 1: and hallucinations, which was making it hard to set up 12 00:00:52,120 --> 00:00:57,920 Speaker 1: meetings because McAfee said he didn't feel safe anywhere. He 13 00:00:58,040 --> 00:01:02,920 Speaker 1: had fears of the cartel everywhere he went. So, can 14 00:01:02,920 --> 00:01:06,000 Speaker 1: we do this in La? In La, it's too dangerous 15 00:01:06,000 --> 00:01:10,200 Speaker 1: for me, too many Mexican cortels. Okay, John, all right? 16 00:01:10,319 --> 00:01:12,959 Speaker 1: Can we do this in New York? No? I can't 17 00:01:12,959 --> 00:01:16,759 Speaker 1: do New York because I can't carry weapons in New York. Therefore, 18 00:01:16,800 --> 00:01:20,679 Speaker 1: I can't protect myself from the cartels like my god Man, 19 00:01:20,800 --> 00:01:24,080 Speaker 1: just to help me out here. I'm not gonna ask 20 00:01:24,120 --> 00:01:25,840 Speaker 1: you every city in the United States. Just give me 21 00:01:25,880 --> 00:01:31,360 Speaker 1: a city. McAfee chooses Boston. He tells Francois that he's 22 00:01:31,440 --> 00:01:34,800 Speaker 1: Irish and he feels like he'd be safe there, surrounded 23 00:01:34,840 --> 00:01:39,560 Speaker 1: by other Irish people. So they're at the Hilton in 24 00:01:39,680 --> 00:01:43,600 Speaker 1: Boston waiting in the lobby for the potential director to 25 00:01:43,680 --> 00:01:51,280 Speaker 1: show up, and McAfee starts to get jittery, and he says, sorry, 26 00:01:51,720 --> 00:01:55,320 Speaker 1: I can't do this, I have to leave immediately. The 27 00:01:55,400 --> 00:01:59,400 Speaker 1: hotel is surrounded by cartels all over the lobby. Here 28 00:01:59,720 --> 00:02:03,600 Speaker 1: look at us. There was a Microsoft conference and the 29 00:02:03,680 --> 00:02:08,520 Speaker 1: hotel and I'm like, all I see is blue shirts 30 00:02:08,560 --> 00:02:12,079 Speaker 1: with the Microsoft loco in it. And it's like, well, 31 00:02:12,120 --> 00:02:16,880 Speaker 1: these are all cartel operatives. They are together and like 32 00:02:16,919 --> 00:02:20,600 Speaker 1: they're Microsoft employees and it's like, no, they work for 33 00:02:20,639 --> 00:02:27,280 Speaker 1: the cartel. They don't know it, but they do. McAfee 34 00:02:27,400 --> 00:02:31,240 Speaker 1: starts to spiral in front of Francois. He says he 35 00:02:31,320 --> 00:02:34,160 Speaker 1: wants a limo with tinted windows to take him to 36 00:02:34,200 --> 00:02:39,240 Speaker 1: the airport. Francois notices that the director has just walked 37 00:02:39,320 --> 00:02:44,120 Speaker 1: into the lobby. He wants to salvage the meeting, He 38 00:02:44,200 --> 00:02:47,240 Speaker 1: offers to drive McAfee to the airport in his own 39 00:02:47,320 --> 00:02:49,919 Speaker 1: car so that the director can sit in the back 40 00:02:49,960 --> 00:02:55,119 Speaker 1: with McAfee and discuss the movie. McAfee agrees. They head 41 00:02:55,200 --> 00:02:59,080 Speaker 1: up to his room to pack. Francois sees McAfee's partner 42 00:02:59,520 --> 00:03:03,280 Speaker 1: Jenesis there, then, I haven't seen any drugs yet, but 43 00:03:03,360 --> 00:03:07,040 Speaker 1: it's it's it's obvious. It's like a state of paranoia. 44 00:03:07,120 --> 00:03:11,079 Speaker 1: There's guns everywhere, loaded guns. His fidgety guns falls out 45 00:03:11,120 --> 00:03:16,200 Speaker 1: of his pocket. Janus technologies they were guns, but denies 46 00:03:16,320 --> 00:03:20,800 Speaker 1: that either of them were high in any event. Francois, 47 00:03:20,800 --> 00:03:26,440 Speaker 1: he's cameraman, McAfee, Janis, and the director all pile into 48 00:03:26,480 --> 00:03:29,639 Speaker 1: the car. So off we drive to the airport. All 49 00:03:29,680 --> 00:03:32,359 Speaker 1: of this is on video by away on a car 50 00:03:32,440 --> 00:03:35,960 Speaker 1: chase with invisible cars, and it's like, okay, they're behind us, 51 00:03:36,040 --> 00:03:40,320 Speaker 1: durned left and there's nobody behind us. They're there. Drive faster. 52 00:03:40,720 --> 00:03:43,840 Speaker 1: I can drive faster. And I mean he's holding a 53 00:03:43,880 --> 00:03:46,760 Speaker 1: gun and waving the gun. Can you just point your 54 00:03:46,840 --> 00:03:49,360 Speaker 1: gun down like, because I'm driving and I want to 55 00:03:49,440 --> 00:03:53,160 Speaker 1: hold it in the back of my head. Now, keep 56 00:03:53,240 --> 00:03:57,160 Speaker 1: in mind the director is in the car the whole time, 57 00:03:57,720 --> 00:04:04,160 Speaker 1: seeing everything. When they arrive at the airport, McAfee and 58 00:04:04,280 --> 00:04:07,960 Speaker 1: Janus leave their guns in Francois's black seat and they 59 00:04:08,040 --> 00:04:12,839 Speaker 1: check in for a flight to the UK. As Francois 60 00:04:13,000 --> 00:04:16,880 Speaker 1: is driving the director back, McAfee calls him with one 61 00:04:16,880 --> 00:04:20,400 Speaker 1: more favor to ask. McAfee says he who left his 62 00:04:20,480 --> 00:04:24,200 Speaker 1: own car at the hotel, and he wants Francois to 63 00:04:24,279 --> 00:04:27,120 Speaker 1: give the keys to one of his security guards, who 64 00:04:27,320 --> 00:04:32,520 Speaker 1: drive it to McAfee's house in Tennessee. Francois finds the 65 00:04:32,600 --> 00:04:35,520 Speaker 1: car in the parking garage as soon as they opened 66 00:04:35,520 --> 00:04:38,640 Speaker 1: the car. I mean I cev the arsenal, using the 67 00:04:38,640 --> 00:04:42,200 Speaker 1: word lightly, an arsenal of weapons, all sizes, all over 68 00:04:42,240 --> 00:04:47,360 Speaker 1: the vehicle, and the bags ziplock bags, probably too well, 69 00:04:47,400 --> 00:04:53,960 Speaker 1: and says each full of this substance inside those ziplock bags, 70 00:04:54,000 --> 00:04:58,760 Speaker 1: according to Francois, was a drug similar to bath salts, 71 00:04:58,800 --> 00:05:03,400 Speaker 1: but even stronger. Later, Francois goes out for dinner and 72 00:05:03,560 --> 00:05:07,440 Speaker 1: drinks with the film director. His reaction to the whole thing, 73 00:05:07,560 --> 00:05:12,520 Speaker 1: according to Francois, was what the hell just happened? But 74 00:05:12,720 --> 00:05:17,240 Speaker 1: as it turns out, their meeting was a success. The 75 00:05:17,360 --> 00:05:24,120 Speaker 1: deal goes through. You're listening to Foundering, I'm your host, 76 00:05:24,520 --> 00:05:31,680 Speaker 1: Jamie's harrabay. It's the beginning of the end. When John 77 00:05:31,760 --> 00:05:36,960 Speaker 1: McAfee ran for and lost the Libertarian Party presidential nomination, 78 00:05:37,520 --> 00:05:41,920 Speaker 1: it propelled him to the national stage once again. He 79 00:05:42,000 --> 00:05:48,120 Speaker 1: was on TV regularly discussing politics, civil liberties, and cybersecurity. 80 00:05:49,040 --> 00:05:52,640 Speaker 1: He had largely shrugged off the accusations that he'd murdered 81 00:05:52,680 --> 00:05:56,920 Speaker 1: his neighbor in Belize, and he was able to use 82 00:05:57,000 --> 00:06:01,480 Speaker 1: his fame to court a new sort of wealth, cryptocurrency. 83 00:06:02,360 --> 00:06:06,440 Speaker 1: In this chapter of McAfee's life, he becomes a major 84 00:06:06,520 --> 00:06:10,880 Speaker 1: player in the crypto world. With a single tweet, he 85 00:06:10,920 --> 00:06:14,080 Speaker 1: could send the price of a new digital currency soaring. 86 00:06:15,160 --> 00:06:20,719 Speaker 1: He was living large again and evading taxes, but behind 87 00:06:20,760 --> 00:06:28,080 Speaker 1: the scenes, McAfee was deteriorating. His world was composed of guns, drugs, 88 00:06:28,640 --> 00:06:34,200 Speaker 1: delusions that ruled his life for years. McAfee had pushed 89 00:06:34,200 --> 00:06:37,720 Speaker 1: the notion that he was wanted by one government or another. 90 00:06:38,800 --> 00:06:43,159 Speaker 1: This time because of his dealings in crypto and those 91 00:06:43,240 --> 00:06:48,360 Speaker 1: unpaid taxes. Authorities in the United States really are after 92 00:06:48,480 --> 00:06:54,279 Speaker 1: him and they're closing in. We'll tell you more after 93 00:06:54,320 --> 00:07:05,400 Speaker 1: the break. Stories of John McAfee doing synthetic drugs have 94 00:07:05,520 --> 00:07:09,840 Speaker 1: floated around for years. As early as twenty ten, John 95 00:07:09,880 --> 00:07:13,280 Speaker 1: McAfee was posting on a message board called blue Light 96 00:07:13,720 --> 00:07:18,560 Speaker 1: about his experiments with bath salts. The journalist Jeff Wis 97 00:07:18,680 --> 00:07:23,640 Speaker 1: quotes McAfee's writing, I think it's the finest drug ever conceived. 98 00:07:24,280 --> 00:07:29,000 Speaker 1: I had visual and auditory hallucinations and the worst paranoia 99 00:07:29,120 --> 00:07:33,600 Speaker 1: of my life. Over the years, McAfee posted dozens of 100 00:07:33,680 --> 00:07:38,720 Speaker 1: times on this site, which is now defunct. Another journalist, 101 00:07:38,920 --> 00:07:43,920 Speaker 1: Joshua Davis, asked McAfee about these posts, and he insisted 102 00:07:43,960 --> 00:07:47,280 Speaker 1: it was just a big prank, but then McAfee went 103 00:07:47,280 --> 00:07:52,240 Speaker 1: on to describe elaborate hallucinations to the reporter. For what 104 00:07:52,400 --> 00:07:56,160 Speaker 1: it's worth, Janice McAfee describes him more as a drinker. 105 00:07:56,880 --> 00:08:01,640 Speaker 1: Whatever he was on, it made him super annoid. I 106 00:08:01,680 --> 00:08:05,080 Speaker 1: first spoke to Janus in June of twenty twenty two, 107 00:08:05,640 --> 00:08:10,480 Speaker 1: about a year after John McAfee's death. I specifically wanted 108 00:08:10,520 --> 00:08:14,920 Speaker 1: to ask her about McAfee's repeated insistence that the cartel 109 00:08:15,120 --> 00:08:18,640 Speaker 1: was out to get him. It's a story that Janus 110 00:08:18,680 --> 00:08:22,600 Speaker 1: has corroborated, mostly in tabloids. Like The Daily Mail and 111 00:08:22,680 --> 00:08:27,320 Speaker 1: The Sun, but also in outlets like Newsweek. In fact, 112 00:08:27,600 --> 00:08:30,120 Speaker 1: she said over the years that it was related to 113 00:08:30,160 --> 00:08:33,480 Speaker 1: her past as a sex worker. I didn't know that 114 00:08:33,559 --> 00:08:38,000 Speaker 1: my pimp had been approached by someone who was claiming 115 00:08:38,080 --> 00:08:43,160 Speaker 1: to be a representative of the cartel, the Sinaloa Cartel. 116 00:08:44,559 --> 00:08:48,280 Speaker 1: John McAfee spent years saying that the Sinaloa Cartel was 117 00:08:48,360 --> 00:08:52,840 Speaker 1: after him. It's an international crime ring mostly known for 118 00:08:52,960 --> 00:08:56,920 Speaker 1: drug trafficking. It was led by El Chapo for decades. 119 00:08:59,679 --> 00:09:03,240 Speaker 1: There's no evidence of any truth to McAfee's claims about 120 00:09:03,240 --> 00:09:06,560 Speaker 1: the cartel, and the only other person who seemed to 121 00:09:06,600 --> 00:09:10,640 Speaker 1: believe it was Janus. They knew that we were together 122 00:09:11,360 --> 00:09:16,040 Speaker 1: and they wanted to have me be sort of their 123 00:09:16,160 --> 00:09:20,680 Speaker 1: inside man, you know, giving them information. And Janus says 124 00:09:20,760 --> 00:09:23,640 Speaker 1: that her pimp was in on it. His whole thing 125 00:09:23,760 --> 00:09:25,880 Speaker 1: was like, oh my gosh, we're gonna get so much money. 126 00:09:25,960 --> 00:09:29,480 Speaker 1: And my thing was, okay, I'm going to get away 127 00:09:29,520 --> 00:09:32,479 Speaker 1: from you, Like this was my plan. You know, I'm 128 00:09:32,520 --> 00:09:34,320 Speaker 1: going to get I'm going to use the situation to 129 00:09:34,320 --> 00:09:40,240 Speaker 1: get away from you. While we weren't able to verify 130 00:09:40,440 --> 00:09:44,760 Speaker 1: Janice the story, it's been widely documented that women leaving 131 00:09:44,800 --> 00:09:48,160 Speaker 1: this type of sex work often have a difficult time 132 00:09:48,360 --> 00:09:53,880 Speaker 1: shaking off their traffickers. Maybe Janice and McAfee's fears became 133 00:09:54,040 --> 00:09:58,520 Speaker 1: sandwich together. She was convinced the pimp was following her 134 00:09:58,679 --> 00:10:02,960 Speaker 1: every move with macafe, and he was convinced the cartel 135 00:10:03,160 --> 00:10:07,080 Speaker 1: was out to get him. Here's Francois. He ran with 136 00:10:07,160 --> 00:10:10,000 Speaker 1: that story for so long that I think, like any 137 00:10:10,040 --> 00:10:13,440 Speaker 1: good lie, he just at some point he did start 138 00:10:13,920 --> 00:10:18,679 Speaker 1: believing himself. It was interesting because I do believe that 139 00:10:18,720 --> 00:10:22,760 Speaker 1: when he was under the influence of batstols, he did 140 00:10:22,840 --> 00:10:27,000 Speaker 1: believe the paranoia, the invisible men chasing him. I mean, 141 00:10:27,000 --> 00:10:30,600 Speaker 1: I've seen him starting shooting at the walls from inside 142 00:10:30,600 --> 00:10:35,520 Speaker 1: his house. From twenty thirteen through twenty seventeen, Francois was 143 00:10:35,640 --> 00:10:40,760 Speaker 1: actively filming with McAfee, often at his home in Lexington, Tennessee. 144 00:10:41,040 --> 00:10:43,800 Speaker 1: I would go to the back door, knock at the door, 145 00:10:44,360 --> 00:10:47,560 Speaker 1: and immediately moved myself out of the frame of the 146 00:10:47,600 --> 00:10:53,320 Speaker 1: door against a brick wall, because the chances that he 147 00:10:53,320 --> 00:10:57,199 Speaker 1: would start shooting from inside the house, blazing bullets out 148 00:10:57,200 --> 00:11:00,800 Speaker 1: of his living room or bedroom. Jana's confirmed the story 149 00:11:01,440 --> 00:11:04,200 Speaker 1: and the situation with the shooting in the house. You know, 150 00:11:04,200 --> 00:11:06,240 Speaker 1: if you heard something where it sounded like someone was 151 00:11:06,280 --> 00:11:10,440 Speaker 1: in are at it, you know, that's what he would do, 152 00:11:10,640 --> 00:11:14,240 Speaker 1: you know, fire, no kind of a warning shot, but 153 00:11:14,320 --> 00:11:19,000 Speaker 1: she claims McAfee had reasons to be alarmed. The pimp 154 00:11:19,120 --> 00:11:23,520 Speaker 1: was still around, she says, and still a threat, and 155 00:11:23,679 --> 00:11:27,920 Speaker 1: Janice blames herself for bringing this source of danger into 156 00:11:28,000 --> 00:11:32,040 Speaker 1: McAfee's life. I really felt really guilty, and I felt 157 00:11:32,120 --> 00:11:36,400 Speaker 1: a lot like the things that were happening around him 158 00:11:36,440 --> 00:11:39,480 Speaker 1: and why he felt so unsaved was because of me? 159 00:11:39,760 --> 00:11:45,839 Speaker 1: Was my fault? Is that why you guys divorced? No? No, no, 160 00:11:48,200 --> 00:11:52,200 Speaker 1: it just were just idn't know that there was really 161 00:11:52,200 --> 00:11:56,240 Speaker 1: a why we divorced. We just we just did. Janice 162 00:11:56,280 --> 00:12:00,720 Speaker 1: and McAfee get divorced in twenty nineteen. They would remain 163 00:12:00,800 --> 00:12:04,960 Speaker 1: partners for the rest of his life. There was always 164 00:12:05,160 --> 00:12:08,520 Speaker 1: a need for me to try to reassure him no, 165 00:12:08,679 --> 00:12:10,520 Speaker 1: that I wasn't trying to do him arm. I didn't 166 00:12:10,559 --> 00:12:12,880 Speaker 1: want to do him ARM. So whatever I needed to 167 00:12:12,920 --> 00:12:16,040 Speaker 1: do too to let him know that I was willing 168 00:12:16,080 --> 00:12:20,760 Speaker 1: to do that. Janus didn't go into too many details 169 00:12:20,840 --> 00:12:24,800 Speaker 1: about the divorce, but we know that McAfee was volatile, 170 00:12:25,160 --> 00:12:29,240 Speaker 1: that he had a tendency to push people away. Janus 171 00:12:29,240 --> 00:12:33,400 Speaker 1: managed to hang on to his trust, and my interpretation 172 00:12:33,960 --> 00:12:37,199 Speaker 1: is that the divorce was Janice's way of showing her 173 00:12:37,240 --> 00:12:40,840 Speaker 1: commitment that she would still be there without a claim 174 00:12:40,880 --> 00:12:45,120 Speaker 1: to his money. For Francois, though, the trust that existed 175 00:12:45,160 --> 00:12:51,760 Speaker 1: between him and McAfee that began to wither. Well, I 176 00:12:51,880 --> 00:12:55,440 Speaker 1: think that he started realizing that the projects, it's not 177 00:12:55,760 --> 00:13:00,520 Speaker 1: just a biography that's gonna glorify him and and and 178 00:13:00,880 --> 00:13:05,880 Speaker 1: repeat his side of the story or whatever he says 179 00:13:05,880 --> 00:13:11,040 Speaker 1: at face value. Eventually, the day that probably felt inevitable came, 180 00:13:12,400 --> 00:13:16,840 Speaker 1: McAfee turned on Francois, accusing me being connected to the curtail. 181 00:13:16,960 --> 00:13:20,760 Speaker 1: That's that was part of his m I mean, he 182 00:13:20,800 --> 00:13:23,040 Speaker 1: has He had accused plenty of people in the past 183 00:13:23,679 --> 00:13:27,480 Speaker 1: that they either they had no more use for him 184 00:13:27,600 --> 00:13:31,280 Speaker 1: or they were getting too close for him. That's how 185 00:13:31,280 --> 00:13:33,319 Speaker 1: we would get rid of people. You know why you're 186 00:13:33,320 --> 00:13:37,079 Speaker 1: not talking to to this friend of yours anymore? Oh 187 00:13:37,120 --> 00:13:40,560 Speaker 1: he's my sources just confirmed that he was working with 188 00:13:40,600 --> 00:13:44,200 Speaker 1: the courteils against me. How you know that? Oh, well, 189 00:13:44,240 --> 00:13:51,640 Speaker 1: he just bought a new car. These accusations marked the 190 00:13:51,880 --> 00:13:56,400 Speaker 1: end of their relationship. When we spoke to Francois, his 191 00:13:56,600 --> 00:14:00,319 Speaker 1: documentary on McAfee had been in the works for about 192 00:14:00,360 --> 00:14:05,240 Speaker 1: a decade. Remember, he first started calling news agencies on 193 00:14:05,400 --> 00:14:10,920 Speaker 1: McAfee's behalf in twenty twelve, after Greg Fall's murder in Belize. 194 00:14:11,760 --> 00:14:16,680 Speaker 1: He still plans to release his project. Francois says he 195 00:14:16,800 --> 00:14:22,280 Speaker 1: stopped communicating with McAfee by late twenty seventeen. He then 196 00:14:22,440 --> 00:14:26,640 Speaker 1: watched as McAfee had a sort of career revival by 197 00:14:26,720 --> 00:14:32,040 Speaker 1: tweeting about cryptocurrency. It just went on fire. His following 198 00:14:32,080 --> 00:14:36,280 Speaker 1: started drawing, and the massive crypto community there so that 199 00:14:36,440 --> 00:14:41,160 Speaker 1: he just embraced John. Francois felt like he was seeing 200 00:14:41,240 --> 00:14:45,440 Speaker 1: a whole new community of people taken in by McAfee's 201 00:14:45,440 --> 00:14:51,240 Speaker 1: star power. In spite of his addictions and delusions, McAfee 202 00:14:51,280 --> 00:14:55,240 Speaker 1: would carve out a next chapter as a cryptocurrency prophet. 203 00:14:57,680 --> 00:15:06,320 Speaker 1: That's next. Cryptocurrency became McAfee's major project during the last 204 00:15:06,440 --> 00:15:10,120 Speaker 1: years of his life. Our responsibility, i don't think, is 205 00:15:10,440 --> 00:15:15,920 Speaker 1: to build the ultimate currency, but to understand the power 206 00:15:16,560 --> 00:15:21,440 Speaker 1: that cryptocurrency not developed by governments and institutions, but by people. 207 00:15:22,160 --> 00:15:26,800 Speaker 1: Offers us, for the first time in human history, a 208 00:15:27,040 --> 00:15:33,280 Speaker 1: chance for absolute financial freedom, where your wallet is your bank. 209 00:15:34,560 --> 00:15:38,680 Speaker 1: That's McAfee speaking at a crypto conference in Barcelona in 210 00:15:38,760 --> 00:15:45,440 Speaker 1: twenty nineteen. Cryptocurrencies allow people to anonymously exchange money directly 211 00:15:45,480 --> 00:15:50,080 Speaker 1: with each other. McAfee saw huge potential in this. He 212 00:15:50,200 --> 00:15:53,800 Speaker 1: saw in it a promise of privacy, a world without 213 00:15:53,840 --> 00:15:58,560 Speaker 1: banks or the irs. No one will know what you 214 00:15:58,640 --> 00:16:01,560 Speaker 1: do with your money. Neither should they. It's your fucking money. 215 00:16:01,640 --> 00:16:06,200 Speaker 1: You worked for it. That attitude that the government has 216 00:16:06,400 --> 00:16:10,480 Speaker 1: no business meddling with his money would eventually catch up 217 00:16:10,520 --> 00:16:14,920 Speaker 1: with him. He went all in on crypto in twenty seventeen, 218 00:16:15,440 --> 00:16:19,480 Speaker 1: starting a new money making scheme. A few people who 219 00:16:19,560 --> 00:16:22,880 Speaker 1: were part of his failed presidential campaign went to work 220 00:16:22,920 --> 00:16:27,960 Speaker 1: for him, and they called themselves Team McAfee. They operated 221 00:16:28,000 --> 00:16:32,200 Speaker 1: out of his house in Tennessee. Jimmy Watson, a former 222 00:16:32,360 --> 00:16:37,520 Speaker 1: Navy seal, joined McAfee's security team. He still remembers his 223 00:16:37,640 --> 00:16:41,400 Speaker 1: first day on the job. John McFee steps out of 224 00:16:41,480 --> 00:16:45,840 Speaker 1: this dark corner in the back of the house. You know, 225 00:16:45,880 --> 00:16:48,640 Speaker 1: I'm looking across the kitchen and across this living room, 226 00:16:48,640 --> 00:16:51,840 Speaker 1: and it's all dark and there's bullet holes in the 227 00:16:51,920 --> 00:16:56,880 Speaker 1: wall like around his door. Jimmy could see that the 228 00:16:56,960 --> 00:17:01,840 Speaker 1: compound was dedicated to crypto. Everybody in the house, everyone 229 00:17:01,920 --> 00:17:04,480 Speaker 1: even the mate I think, has a computer screen at 230 00:17:04,480 --> 00:17:08,639 Speaker 1: the laptop and they're trading on this crazy which looks 231 00:17:08,680 --> 00:17:12,040 Speaker 1: like the stock market. To me. I had heard a bitcoin, 232 00:17:12,200 --> 00:17:15,639 Speaker 1: just very very slightly. But I remember John McFee like 233 00:17:15,800 --> 00:17:19,800 Speaker 1: kind of laughing and screaming out out like how much 234 00:17:19,840 --> 00:17:22,840 Speaker 1: money made that day. Jimmy hadn't spent a lot of 235 00:17:22,880 --> 00:17:26,240 Speaker 1: time online. He spent much of his adult life in 236 00:17:26,280 --> 00:17:29,520 Speaker 1: the Navy, and then he went on to work for Blackwater, 237 00:17:30,080 --> 00:17:34,520 Speaker 1: the security contractor that massacred Iraqi civilians in two thousand 238 00:17:34,600 --> 00:17:38,800 Speaker 1: and seven. He said he didn't know anything about digital currency, 239 00:17:39,400 --> 00:17:42,760 Speaker 1: and that McAfee took him under his wing. He taught 240 00:17:42,800 --> 00:17:45,919 Speaker 1: me basically like no other teacher had ever talked to 241 00:17:45,920 --> 00:17:47,840 Speaker 1: me before, and he taught it to be in a 242 00:17:47,880 --> 00:17:51,840 Speaker 1: way that I can understand cryptocurrency. He and McAfee developed 243 00:17:51,880 --> 00:17:55,199 Speaker 1: a close relationship. We look for father figures in our 244 00:17:55,240 --> 00:17:59,560 Speaker 1: life generally psychologically we do. And when we find someone 245 00:17:59,600 --> 00:18:01,879 Speaker 1: in our life said we look up, we look up 246 00:18:01,880 --> 00:18:04,800 Speaker 1: to as a mentor or a father figure. We kind 247 00:18:04,800 --> 00:18:08,919 Speaker 1: of cling onto that individual and did we put him 248 00:18:08,920 --> 00:18:11,600 Speaker 1: on a pedestal. And that's pretty much what happened with 249 00:18:11,680 --> 00:18:15,280 Speaker 1: me and John McFee with less than a year in 250 00:18:15,320 --> 00:18:19,960 Speaker 1: the job, and so his complete surprise, Jimmy says, McAfee 251 00:18:20,040 --> 00:18:23,040 Speaker 1: gave him a new rank and title. He goes, I 252 00:18:23,200 --> 00:18:26,159 Speaker 1: promoted you the CEO two weeks ago on Twitter and 253 00:18:26,240 --> 00:18:30,120 Speaker 1: you didn't see it. You did, and he was like, yeah, 254 00:18:30,119 --> 00:18:31,800 Speaker 1: but I'm not gonna pay you extra. So with that 255 00:18:31,840 --> 00:18:36,560 Speaker 1: scout relationship we had, Jimmy works all day and all night. 256 00:18:37,000 --> 00:18:40,560 Speaker 1: He doesn't stop, and neither does McAfee. We would be 257 00:18:40,680 --> 00:18:43,960 Speaker 1: up all night, sometimes all night, you know, to four 258 00:18:44,040 --> 00:18:46,760 Speaker 1: or five six in the morning, get maybe two hours 259 00:18:46,760 --> 00:18:50,679 Speaker 1: to sleep and wake up. A normal day with him 260 00:18:50,840 --> 00:18:52,919 Speaker 1: would be to go to the Linkuer store, pick up 261 00:18:52,960 --> 00:18:56,720 Speaker 1: a case of Scotch, like a case, sit at his house. 262 00:18:57,560 --> 00:19:01,080 Speaker 1: He'd blare the TV on loud and he'd do all 263 00:19:01,119 --> 00:19:04,119 Speaker 1: his crypto businesses stuff from his phone, and then maybe 264 00:19:04,119 --> 00:19:08,640 Speaker 1: go to Walmart. He lived a pretty mundane life when 265 00:19:08,720 --> 00:19:12,840 Speaker 1: we weren't traveling because he was very paranoid. He didn't 266 00:19:12,840 --> 00:19:17,560 Speaker 1: want to leave the house. Despite the drinking, the paranoia. 267 00:19:17,640 --> 00:19:21,320 Speaker 1: There was a method to the madness. Team McAfee was 268 00:19:21,400 --> 00:19:27,119 Speaker 1: always moving forward looking into emerging cryptocurrencies. My colleague hammah 269 00:19:27,119 --> 00:19:30,800 Speaker 1: Miller covers crypto, so twenty seventeen was a pivotal time 270 00:19:31,080 --> 00:19:35,160 Speaker 1: in crypto. Tons of new coins coming out all the time. 271 00:19:35,720 --> 00:19:38,600 Speaker 1: It would be impossible for anyone to keep track of 272 00:19:38,640 --> 00:19:42,080 Speaker 1: these projects, and McAfee was a bit of a guide 273 00:19:42,280 --> 00:19:45,640 Speaker 1: to them. Jimmy's job was to read up on all 274 00:19:45,720 --> 00:19:49,600 Speaker 1: the new cryptocurrencies and pass on to McAfee the ones 275 00:19:49,680 --> 00:19:53,760 Speaker 1: that Jimmy thought were unique or interesting. Most of them 276 00:19:53,800 --> 00:19:56,399 Speaker 1: were getting ready to sell their new tokens to the 277 00:19:56,480 --> 00:20:00,800 Speaker 1: public for the first time. If McAfee liked one, he 278 00:20:01,280 --> 00:20:04,160 Speaker 1: or his team would often reach out to the project 279 00:20:04,240 --> 00:20:06,840 Speaker 1: and the offer to promote it on his Twitter account. 280 00:20:07,400 --> 00:20:11,280 Speaker 1: But he usually had an ulterior motive. He might buy 281 00:20:11,440 --> 00:20:16,320 Speaker 1: up that coin himself, so after he promotes it, makes 282 00:20:16,320 --> 00:20:19,040 Speaker 1: it his coin of the day, and the price goes up, 283 00:20:19,520 --> 00:20:22,400 Speaker 1: his own stake would rise, and then he could sell 284 00:20:22,440 --> 00:20:26,320 Speaker 1: that cryptocurrency and make a profit. He would also sometimes 285 00:20:26,440 --> 00:20:31,360 Speaker 1: charge these projects to get promoted by him, and so 286 00:20:31,400 --> 00:20:34,479 Speaker 1: he was really building a business out of you know, 287 00:20:34,920 --> 00:20:39,159 Speaker 1: this idea of becoming a crypto influencer back when that 288 00:20:39,240 --> 00:20:44,280 Speaker 1: was a really new phenomenon. Now it's not illegal to 289 00:20:44,400 --> 00:20:48,240 Speaker 1: do a sponsorship or a promotional deal with crypto companies, 290 00:20:48,880 --> 00:20:52,440 Speaker 1: but what could be considered illegal is to not disclose 291 00:20:52,560 --> 00:20:56,359 Speaker 1: that you're being paid to promote that cryptocurrency or security. 292 00:20:57,760 --> 00:21:02,600 Speaker 1: In addition to working with cryptocurrency companies, McAfee also took 293 00:21:02,760 --> 00:21:06,640 Speaker 1: paid speaking gigs at conferences. He was able to draw 294 00:21:06,760 --> 00:21:10,320 Speaker 1: so much attention to cryptocurrency because he was such an 295 00:21:10,320 --> 00:21:14,679 Speaker 1: a vandalist for the movement. His presence on Twitter was 296 00:21:15,280 --> 00:21:21,080 Speaker 1: very high profile, very colorful. In twenty seventeen, he tweeted 297 00:21:21,080 --> 00:21:23,680 Speaker 1: that the price of a bitcoin would jump to five 298 00:21:23,760 --> 00:21:28,159 Speaker 1: hundred thousand dollars within three years, adding if not, I 299 00:21:28,200 --> 00:21:32,720 Speaker 1: will eat my own dick on national television. For the record, 300 00:21:33,200 --> 00:21:38,560 Speaker 1: bitcoin never got anywhere close to that amount, and McAfee 301 00:21:38,600 --> 00:21:44,199 Speaker 1: didn't make good on his promise. The main business of 302 00:21:44,280 --> 00:21:48,920 Speaker 1: Team McAfee was his coin of the day. In twenty seventeen, 303 00:21:49,240 --> 00:21:53,520 Speaker 1: McAfee chose to promote a project called redcoin, a crypto 304 00:21:53,560 --> 00:21:56,800 Speaker 1: token designed to be used as a tip or gratuity 305 00:21:57,240 --> 00:22:01,399 Speaker 1: on social media platforms like Reddit and Twitter. This is 306 00:22:01,480 --> 00:22:06,240 Speaker 1: redcoin's developer, who goes by the pseudonym tech Adept or 307 00:22:06,640 --> 00:22:10,400 Speaker 1: TIA for short, McAfee certainly was on the radar from 308 00:22:10,440 --> 00:22:14,560 Speaker 1: being a bit of a pioneer in the anti virus space. 309 00:22:15,240 --> 00:22:18,320 Speaker 1: He's a computer genius. He's this, you know, but it 310 00:22:18,320 --> 00:22:21,760 Speaker 1: didn't really touch our world at all up until the 311 00:22:21,880 --> 00:22:25,720 Speaker 1: point I checked the data was December twenty fourth, Christmas 312 00:22:25,760 --> 00:22:29,000 Speaker 1: Eve that he actually tweeted out, you know, redcoin, the 313 00:22:29,160 --> 00:22:33,720 Speaker 1: social coin, go for it, and people did. Ta says 314 00:22:33,840 --> 00:22:38,720 Speaker 1: he didn't pay McAfee to promote redcoin. He believes McAfee 315 00:22:38,720 --> 00:22:42,960 Speaker 1: found redcoin on his own. Redcoin isn't the company, it's 316 00:22:42,960 --> 00:22:46,080 Speaker 1: a group of volunteers who dedicate their spare time to it. 317 00:22:46,680 --> 00:22:50,480 Speaker 1: In his tweet, McAfee called red cooin a sleeper and 318 00:22:50,800 --> 00:22:54,159 Speaker 1: the most widely used social network coin in the world. 319 00:22:54,880 --> 00:22:58,040 Speaker 1: It was Christmas Eve and you know, the egg nog 320 00:22:58,119 --> 00:22:59,880 Speaker 1: must have been flowing, and it was a great time. 321 00:23:00,119 --> 00:23:08,040 Speaker 1: But it ended very quickly. Redcoin hit an all time 322 00:23:08,160 --> 00:23:13,040 Speaker 1: high in January twenty eighteen. The crypto data tracker coin 323 00:23:13,119 --> 00:23:18,520 Speaker 1: gecko reported that the price surged sixteen from the month before. 324 00:23:19,800 --> 00:23:23,439 Speaker 1: Redcoin has never broken the record price. It reached after 325 00:23:23,520 --> 00:23:31,960 Speaker 1: McAfee's tweet. Ten months later, members of Team McAfee reached 326 00:23:32,000 --> 00:23:35,320 Speaker 1: out to TA over linked in an email and wanted 327 00:23:35,359 --> 00:23:39,040 Speaker 1: to strike a deal with Redcoin for another promotion from McAfee. 328 00:23:39,760 --> 00:23:43,200 Speaker 1: It was clear they had no memory of the prior promotion, 329 00:23:43,840 --> 00:23:47,919 Speaker 1: which was a major red flag for TA. They mentioned 330 00:23:47,920 --> 00:23:52,640 Speaker 1: a million dollar payment just to be involved, and clearly 331 00:23:52,720 --> 00:23:57,439 Speaker 1: some sort of significant equity in the company, which doesn't 332 00:23:57,440 --> 00:24:01,119 Speaker 1: really exist as such. So I don't even know on 333 00:24:01,160 --> 00:24:03,959 Speaker 1: their team how much communication was going on, but clearly 334 00:24:04,000 --> 00:24:09,320 Speaker 1: they were still looking for customers, partners, people to take 335 00:24:09,359 --> 00:24:12,199 Speaker 1: money from that they could then promote and make a 336 00:24:12,240 --> 00:24:15,120 Speaker 1: bunch of money, and they did. They were they were 337 00:24:15,240 --> 00:24:23,040 Speaker 1: using the crypto community as an ATM. It was November 338 00:24:23,119 --> 00:24:27,159 Speaker 1: twenty eighteen when Team McAfee approached red Coin for that 339 00:24:27,240 --> 00:24:33,040 Speaker 1: paid promotion. Around this time, McAfee and his CEO Jimmy 340 00:24:33,560 --> 00:24:37,600 Speaker 1: had a falling out. I had a sort of a 341 00:24:37,640 --> 00:24:42,000 Speaker 1: mental bakedown, but it was like a spiritual awakening, and 342 00:24:42,080 --> 00:24:46,119 Speaker 1: it was like a vail was lifted off of my eyes, 343 00:24:46,600 --> 00:24:49,160 Speaker 1: as crazy as that sounds, and it's like I could 344 00:24:49,280 --> 00:24:52,640 Speaker 1: see the evil around me and that I just bounced 345 00:24:53,280 --> 00:24:56,199 Speaker 1: and at the cost of pretty much everything to me, 346 00:24:56,359 --> 00:25:01,680 Speaker 1: like I feel utterly used by him. Jimmy says he 347 00:25:01,800 --> 00:25:05,840 Speaker 1: hadn't talked to McAfee since late twenty eighteen or early 348 00:25:05,920 --> 00:25:11,040 Speaker 1: twenty nineteen, but he remembered how he felt during that conversation. 349 00:25:11,520 --> 00:25:14,080 Speaker 1: I think he just said, you've played the full Jimmy 350 00:25:14,480 --> 00:25:18,720 Speaker 1: my son basically like I won. And that was really 351 00:25:18,800 --> 00:25:21,639 Speaker 1: hard for me because I had I felt like he 352 00:25:21,680 --> 00:25:24,800 Speaker 1: was like a dad to me, a father, And that's 353 00:25:24,800 --> 00:25:27,600 Speaker 1: what you get for thinking those kind of things in life, 354 00:25:27,960 --> 00:25:30,720 Speaker 1: you know. And it was a huge lesson for me 355 00:25:30,760 --> 00:25:34,720 Speaker 1: to learn. But at this moment, in the fall of 356 00:25:34,760 --> 00:25:39,359 Speaker 1: twenty eighteen, McAfee has bigger problems than Jimmy all the 357 00:25:39,440 --> 00:25:44,120 Speaker 1: Red coin deal. McAfee gets word that the federal government 358 00:25:44,320 --> 00:25:48,840 Speaker 1: is planning to press charges against him. Janie tells Our 359 00:25:48,920 --> 00:25:53,480 Speaker 1: contributing reporter Matthew Bremner that she and McAfee make plans 360 00:25:53,520 --> 00:25:57,960 Speaker 1: to leave the country. John at gunn he gotten a 361 00:25:58,080 --> 00:26:01,680 Speaker 1: letter from one of his attorneys, and they had said 362 00:26:01,720 --> 00:26:04,320 Speaker 1: that they had been called to give testimony to a 363 00:26:04,400 --> 00:26:10,360 Speaker 1: grand jury. He then gotten word that he himself, myself, 364 00:26:10,440 --> 00:26:14,720 Speaker 1: and four other people were named in this grand jury. Indictment. 365 00:26:14,760 --> 00:26:17,439 Speaker 1: It was supposed to We weren't supposed to know about it, 366 00:26:17,480 --> 00:26:21,160 Speaker 1: but obviously John you know, has his ways to get 367 00:26:21,200 --> 00:26:24,399 Speaker 1: information until he found out about that in November, until 368 00:26:24,440 --> 00:26:27,520 Speaker 1: we ended up leaving on January of the next year, 369 00:26:27,640 --> 00:26:32,080 Speaker 1: January twenty nineteen, go directly to space. No no, no. 370 00:26:32,119 --> 00:26:36,800 Speaker 1: We went to the Bahamas. We drove from Cattara's Island. 371 00:26:36,960 --> 00:26:40,560 Speaker 1: We drove from there down to Miami, and then from 372 00:26:40,560 --> 00:26:46,560 Speaker 1: Miami we took our boat, the Freedom Boat. We were 373 00:26:46,680 --> 00:26:51,160 Speaker 1: unable to confirm this chain of events with McAfee's attorney. However, 374 00:26:51,680 --> 00:26:54,800 Speaker 1: we spoke to a legal expert who told us that 375 00:26:54,880 --> 00:26:59,320 Speaker 1: it's unusual for attorneys to give grand jury testimony during 376 00:26:59,400 --> 00:27:04,439 Speaker 1: a federal investigation. That said, it's very common for people 377 00:27:04,600 --> 00:27:09,359 Speaker 1: under investigation for white collar crimes to know they're being investigated. 378 00:27:10,280 --> 00:27:15,200 Speaker 1: What McAfee did that was uncommon was flee Today January 379 00:27:15,200 --> 00:27:19,480 Speaker 1: twenty seconds, the IRS has convened a grand jury in 380 00:27:19,520 --> 00:27:25,080 Speaker 1: the state of Tennessee to charge myself, my wife, Missus McAfee, 381 00:27:25,680 --> 00:27:33,240 Speaker 1: four of my campaign workers with unspecified IRS crimes of 382 00:27:33,359 --> 00:27:37,080 Speaker 1: a felonious nature. They want to silence me. I will 383 00:27:37,119 --> 00:27:42,480 Speaker 1: not allow that. I am running my campaign in exile 384 00:27:42,960 --> 00:27:48,560 Speaker 1: on this boat. If you didn't catch that, McAfee attempted 385 00:27:48,560 --> 00:27:52,639 Speaker 1: to run for president again as the Libertarian candidate in 386 00:27:52,680 --> 00:27:57,520 Speaker 1: the twenty twenty election. While he was at c he 387 00:27:57,600 --> 00:28:00,720 Speaker 1: was still very active online and closely followed by the 388 00:28:00,760 --> 00:28:05,680 Speaker 1: crypto community. He insisted he would continue to campaign with 389 00:28:05,760 --> 00:28:09,159 Speaker 1: his partner Janus by his signed even as he was 390 00:28:09,240 --> 00:28:13,159 Speaker 1: being investigated. I will not allow them to imprison me 391 00:28:13,320 --> 00:28:17,199 Speaker 1: and shut my voice down. While he was on the lamp, 392 00:28:17,600 --> 00:28:20,280 Speaker 1: he made this recording that was played to an audience 393 00:28:20,560 --> 00:28:25,919 Speaker 1: on the crypto themed cruise. Hello everyone, I'm John McAfee. 394 00:28:26,240 --> 00:28:29,720 Speaker 1: I'm very sorry I cannot be with you enjoying this 395 00:28:30,240 --> 00:28:33,360 Speaker 1: wonderful cruise that you're on. The reason I'm not with 396 00:28:33,440 --> 00:28:36,879 Speaker 1: you is had I attempted to go, I would have 397 00:28:36,920 --> 00:28:41,280 Speaker 1: been picked up by interbalm and carted off back to 398 00:28:41,360 --> 00:28:46,440 Speaker 1: America to face charges for tax evasion. It is true. 399 00:28:46,640 --> 00:28:49,960 Speaker 1: I have not paid taxes in eight years. I have 400 00:28:50,040 --> 00:28:53,720 Speaker 1: not filed taxes in eight years. I will not file 401 00:28:53,800 --> 00:29:00,680 Speaker 1: taxes again. Jeff Albert is a part at the law 402 00:29:00,720 --> 00:29:04,960 Speaker 1: firm Prior Cashman and a former federal prosecutor with the 403 00:29:05,000 --> 00:29:09,280 Speaker 1: Southern District of New York. Jeff specializes in white color crime. 404 00:29:09,680 --> 00:29:13,000 Speaker 1: He said that McAfee's actions fit the profile of a 405 00:29:13,080 --> 00:29:15,880 Speaker 1: type of crime known as a pump and dump scheme 406 00:29:16,000 --> 00:29:19,959 Speaker 1: involving securities. You take a security that is selling at 407 00:29:19,960 --> 00:29:22,640 Speaker 1: a fairly low price, You buy a bunch of it 408 00:29:22,680 --> 00:29:25,080 Speaker 1: at that low price. Then you make a bunch of 409 00:29:25,080 --> 00:29:28,840 Speaker 1: extravagant claims publicly about the security and how it's likely 410 00:29:28,880 --> 00:29:31,640 Speaker 1: to go up in value. The value then goes up, 411 00:29:31,760 --> 00:29:33,880 Speaker 1: and then you sell all of those securities that you 412 00:29:33,920 --> 00:29:37,400 Speaker 1: bought and make a tidy little profit. Jeff says the 413 00:29:37,480 --> 00:29:41,320 Speaker 1: McAfee name did some heavy lifting in this scheme. Don 414 00:29:41,400 --> 00:29:45,800 Speaker 1: McAfee was well known as somebody who had created antivirus software, 415 00:29:46,200 --> 00:29:50,240 Speaker 1: presumably was very smart, and people viewed him as somebody 416 00:29:50,240 --> 00:29:52,840 Speaker 1: that they could rely on to go in and look 417 00:29:52,880 --> 00:29:56,200 Speaker 1: at a computer science related product and assess whether or 418 00:29:56,240 --> 00:29:59,800 Speaker 1: not it was really valuable. Right now where in a 419 00:30:00,080 --> 00:30:04,160 Speaker 1: legal gray area. Governments have been trying to figure out 420 00:30:04,240 --> 00:30:08,720 Speaker 1: how to regulate cryptocurrency. Many of them wanted to treat 421 00:30:08,720 --> 00:30:12,160 Speaker 1: it more like a stock. That way, they could use 422 00:30:12,240 --> 00:30:16,440 Speaker 1: existing rules to discourage people from manipulating the market or 423 00:30:16,440 --> 00:30:22,160 Speaker 1: trying to gain unfair advantages to make money. John McAfee 424 00:30:22,200 --> 00:30:27,520 Speaker 1: became one of their first high profile targets. On October fifth, 425 00:30:27,600 --> 00:30:32,600 Speaker 1: twenty twenty, the SEC charged McAfee and Jimmy Watson with 426 00:30:32,800 --> 00:30:38,920 Speaker 1: fraudulently promoting cryptocurrencies to McAfee's Twitter followers without disclosing they 427 00:30:38,960 --> 00:30:43,080 Speaker 1: were being paid to do so. Federal prosecutors at the 428 00:30:43,200 --> 00:30:47,880 Speaker 1: Justice Department came out with similar charges in twenty twenty one. 429 00:30:48,600 --> 00:30:52,440 Speaker 1: In total, McAfee and Jimmy were accused of committing a 430 00:30:52,600 --> 00:30:59,400 Speaker 1: thirteen million dollar fraud. After he left McAfee, Jimmy lived abroad. 431 00:31:00,040 --> 00:31:04,200 Speaker 1: He kept busy doing contract work. He never crossed paths 432 00:31:04,320 --> 00:31:10,040 Speaker 1: with his former boss again. Jimmy declines to go into 433 00:31:10,080 --> 00:31:14,200 Speaker 1: detail about why he moved overseas, and he didn't have 434 00:31:14,320 --> 00:31:18,000 Speaker 1: a good explanation for why he did what he did. Next, 435 00:31:18,960 --> 00:31:22,520 Speaker 1: which is with a federal indictment hanging over his head, 436 00:31:23,120 --> 00:31:26,880 Speaker 1: he goes back to the US. In March twenty twenty one, 437 00:31:27,160 --> 00:31:31,320 Speaker 1: he travels to Texas to see family and renew his passport. 438 00:31:31,680 --> 00:31:34,360 Speaker 1: I was with my mom outside at a coffee shop. 439 00:31:34,400 --> 00:31:36,120 Speaker 1: A little did I know the FBI had been watching 440 00:31:36,120 --> 00:31:39,680 Speaker 1: my house and following me. These are two SUVs just 441 00:31:39,920 --> 00:31:43,720 Speaker 1: pulled up really fast, guns in my face, fingers on sugar, 442 00:31:44,040 --> 00:31:47,440 Speaker 1: you know, you know, yelling at you get on the ground. 443 00:31:47,560 --> 00:31:49,960 Speaker 1: I'm only conserved with my mom. I was a mom, 444 00:31:50,200 --> 00:31:53,880 Speaker 1: Get mom back up. This is bad. That was it. 445 00:31:55,480 --> 00:32:01,320 Speaker 1: They rescued me, you know. Jimmy's spent five days in 446 00:32:01,400 --> 00:32:05,920 Speaker 1: a federal penitentiary before being released under a ten million 447 00:32:05,920 --> 00:32:11,560 Speaker 1: dollar bail and house arrest. He pleaded not guilty. Just 448 00:32:11,840 --> 00:32:15,520 Speaker 1: over a year later, a federal judge ordered Jimmy to 449 00:32:15,600 --> 00:32:19,680 Speaker 1: pay almost four hundred thousand dollars in fines and banned 450 00:32:19,800 --> 00:32:25,160 Speaker 1: him from buying and selling any digital assets security. It 451 00:32:25,240 --> 00:32:28,120 Speaker 1: was near the end of the road from McAfee as well. 452 00:32:29,240 --> 00:32:32,760 Speaker 1: He'd fled the United States in haste in twenty nineteen 453 00:32:33,720 --> 00:32:37,320 Speaker 1: after years of saying he was being chased. He really 454 00:32:37,560 --> 00:32:42,000 Speaker 1: was wanted by the US government on several charges, and 455 00:32:42,120 --> 00:32:45,320 Speaker 1: he would spend the next few years flitting from one 456 00:32:45,440 --> 00:32:51,440 Speaker 1: foreign city to another, attempting to disguise his whereabouts. And Jimmy, 457 00:32:51,760 --> 00:32:55,880 Speaker 1: who'd spent so much time traveling with McAfee before their split, 458 00:32:56,600 --> 00:32:59,520 Speaker 1: he had a strong sense of what McAfee was up to. 459 00:33:00,160 --> 00:33:04,040 Speaker 1: We did go to Spain, he hung out with Russians. 460 00:33:04,080 --> 00:33:08,600 Speaker 1: They're very, very powerful, successful Russians. When I heard that 461 00:33:08,680 --> 00:33:11,880 Speaker 1: he was arrested in Spain, I knew that he was. 462 00:33:12,400 --> 00:33:16,479 Speaker 1: He had been with them, and these are very powerful man. 463 00:33:16,520 --> 00:33:18,120 Speaker 1: I don't want to get too far into it, just 464 00:33:18,200 --> 00:33:25,680 Speaker 1: to protect myself. McAfee's last stand, that's next time on Foundering, 465 00:33:26,280 --> 00:33:35,240 Speaker 1: The John mccafee story. Foundering is hosted by me Jamie 466 00:33:35,360 --> 00:33:40,000 Speaker 1: Tera Bay Sean When is our executive producer. Hannah Miller 467 00:33:40,080 --> 00:33:44,960 Speaker 1: and Matthew Bremner contributed reporting to this episode special thanks 468 00:33:44,960 --> 00:33:48,720 Speaker 1: to Young Young and Eileena Pen for help with production. 469 00:33:49,560 --> 00:33:53,600 Speaker 1: Molly Nugent is our associate producer. Sharif Josef is our 470 00:33:53,640 --> 00:33:59,640 Speaker 1: audio engineer and editorial assistant. Mark Million and Vandermay, Molly 471 00:33:59,680 --> 00:34:04,240 Speaker 1: should and Andy Martin are our story editors. Be sure 472 00:34:04,280 --> 00:34:08,160 Speaker 1: to subscribe and if you like our show, leave a review. 473 00:34:08,920 --> 00:34:13,080 Speaker 1: Most importantly, tell your friends see you next time.