Comment by intenex | Hacker News Reader

Comment by intenex | Hacker News Reader

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Having followed this since the raid earlier this year, I actually have no idea whose side of the story I believe now. Some people portray him as a Machiavellian psychopath (Jeff Wise), others think he just went paranoid nuts from drug use, yet if I were only to hear John McAfee tell his own story I'm fairly certain I would absolutely believe him.

He's clearly still in full command of his capacities at least as it comes to elucidating his thoughts in words, and everything he says is reasonable enough that I would believe it quite straightforwardly (as I did back when the raid news first came out) if it weren't for the notion planted in my head now from Wise's article that he's a scheming psychopath that's very charming and knows just what to say to make people believe him.

Either way, this guy has a crazy shit life. If everything is true in Jeff's article about his past and current life, I'd have to believe that he probably is just a scheming possibly paranoid psychopath, though still a little skeptical that he shot his neighbor to death. Fully plausible either way as I see it however, wouldn't be surprised at either outcome.

Also, I definitely hear the words "kill him" and "that's what he fucking needs" in that recording with all the background noise he sent out. Who knows what it is though.

There is an interview with a neighbor at the bottom of this latest installment on the story from Wired that has a pretty reasonable explanation as to why McAfee's neighbor was killed: http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2012/11/mcafee-unhinged/all...

“Almost certainly what happened there was he suggested it to somebody, and then one of his many Belizean hangers on probably took it upon himself to do John a favor,” Allnatt says. “Because John surrounded himself with gang members. These are not nice people.”

Sounds like he has serious mental issues. Of course, it doesn't mean he killed his neighbour.

I'm honestly sort of confused why we care what he's doing at all. There are other accused murderers and other fugitives in the world. Why is McAfee a big deal outside the fact that there's a well-known company with his name on it?

> the fact there's a well-known company with his name on it?

That's a good part of it, the guy has name recognition on par with most household cleaning products.

Then there is the little detail that he actually is - or was - half decent programmer and even in illegality he shows his entrepreneurial drive. It's the same kind of fascination that got the tech press running around Hans Reiser the way they did when Nina disappeared.

This is what drives tabloid sales, people love a good story and McAfee is giving them just that.

I'm not even sure if the facts of the matter will be a decision point from here on, the eyeballs industry probably hopes he will on the lam for a long time so they can milk this for what it is worth. The worst that could happen from their point of view is that he gets arrested or worse, that he really does get killed (they may try to go for the conspiracy angle if that happens to extend the time they can spin this).

It's a sad affair in many ways. McAfee used to be named right along Bill Gates at some point and now you're just as likely to find him associated with Hans Reiser (like in this comment for instance).

Are those fugitives powerful men/women that have history of crazy ventures, plausible conspiracy theories, and constant communication with the world? If so please link their blogs too.

The same reason Hans Reiser's court case kept popping up on and off. The fact that they're in the tech industry brings the odd sense of connection to them, for better or worse, that makes people be interested-- or, at least, makes media outlets think that people will be interested.

And yet this article is on the front page of Hacker News, so I guess the media's thoughts on the matter are justified :)

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