Mike Lynch Missing After Yacht Capsizes Off Sicily

Mike Lynch, Autonomy founder and investor, was declared missing after the Bayesian yacht capsized in a storm off Sicily

Lynch is one of six individuals who are AWOL from the boat, according to a source close to the rescue operation, which TechCrunch verified. One of the 15 individuals who have been rescued is Lynch’s wife, Angela Bacares. A single deceased individual has been discovered.

The news is a tragic and dramatic development for one of the more colourful and occasionally controversial technological figures from the United Kingdom.

In 2011, HP acquired Lynch’s enterprise technology firm Autonomy for $11 billion, marking a significant milestone for the U.K. technology sector. However, the situation soon soured, and HP filed a lawsuit against Lynch and other executives at the company, contending that it was misled during the transaction.

HP asserted that the agreement resulted in a $4 billion loss, which it subsequently sought from Lynch and his former CFO. Lynch (pictured above, left) claimed for an extended period that he acted in good faith and was being used as a scapegoat for a failed merger.

Lynch’s extradition to the United States and significant negative publicity for himself were among the numerous contentious chapters of the legal drama that lasted for over a decade. Additionally, it resulted in a subsequent civil case in the United Kingdom in 2022, which Lynch ultimately lost.

Lynch was indicted on 15 counts of fraud and conspiracy in the U.S. criminal case, which was tried in San Francisco earlier this year. Lynch was ultimately absolved in June.

“I am overjoyed with today’s verdict and appreciate the jury’s careful consideration of the evidence over the past ten weeks.” Lynch expressed his gratitude to his legal team for their unwavering efforts on his behalf at the time. “I am eager to return to the United Kingdom and resume my passions for innovation in my field and spending time with my family.”

Lynch, the proprietor of Invoke Capital, established a reputation as an investor in the United Kingdom during the interim years. The VC firm was the largest investor in Darktrace, a cybersecurity firm, a relationship without controversy. It also invested in Sophia Genetics, Featurespace, and Luminance, among other companies. It seemed that this was the path he intended to pursue.

We extend our condolences to his family, friends, and colleagues. Additional information will be added to this post as it becomes available.