Tech Entrepreneur Mike Lynch Among Victims in Sicily Yacht Tragedy

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Mike Lynch, a prominent British tech entrepreneur, was among the victims recovered from the sunken superyacht Bayesian after it was struck by a tornado off the coast of Sicily earlier this week. Lynch, 59, was known for co-founding Autonomy, a software company that was sold to Hewlett-Packard (HP) in 2011 for $11 billion, one of the largest tech deals in British history.

The Autonomy sale, however, was fraught with controversy. Within a year, HP wrote down the value of Autonomy by $8.8 billion, leading to a series of legal battles that culminated in a high-profile fraud trial. Prosecutors alleged that Lynch, along with former Autonomy finance executive Stephen Chamberlain, had inflated the company’s revenue figures prior to the sale. Despite the accusations, Lynch was acquitted of all charges, including one count of conspiracy and 14 counts of wire fraud, in a San Francisco court this past June.

Reflecting on the verdict, Lynch expressed relief, describing the outcome as life-altering. “When you hear that answer, you jump universes. If this had gone the wrong way, it would have been the end of life as I have known it in any sense,” he told the UK’s Times newspaper.

Lynch’s contributions to the tech industry were significant. Founded in 1996, Autonomy grew to become Britain’s largest software company, eventually earning a spot on the blue-chip FTSE 100 index. His expertise was widely recognized, leading to advisory roles with the British government on technology and innovation.

The Bayesian, the yacht on which Lynch was traveling, is linked to his wife, Angela Bacares, who was among those rescued from the sinking vessel. The 56-meter yacht is owned by Revtom Limited, a company registered in the Isle of Man and owned by Bacares, according to maritime information service Equasis.

Tragically, Lynch’s 18-year-old daughter, Hannah, remains missing as divers continue to search the area where the yacht went down. Italian authorities have so far recovered five bodies from the wreckage, with the latest being brought ashore on Thursday at the Sicilian port of Porticello.

The loss of Lynch marks the end of a remarkable and turbulent chapter in the British tech landscape, with his influence felt across the industry and beyond.