Battle for John McAfee’s fortune begins as wife and ‘47 kids’ fight for his inheritance

A battle is looming over dead software pioneer John McAfee’s millions, between his wife, 47 children and the US taxman.

John McAfee claimed he had ‘nothing’ at the time of his death Picture: Guatemala's National Police

The notorious tech guru, who was found dead in a Barcelona prison cell on Wednesday, faced extradition to the US where it was claimed he owed colossal sums in taxes.

Just how much McAfee was worth when he died is shrouded in mystery, with US tax authorities accusing him of using an elaborate way of concealing his true wealth.

But the British-born tech genius — turned playboy fugitive — leaves behind his 38-year-old wife, Janice.

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Who will inherit tech pioneer’s millions? Picture: Adalberto ROQUE / AFP)

He met Janice in Florida in 2012, having fled his luxury villa and seven strong harem in Belize after being suspected of shooting his neighbour.

The widow spoke to journalists as she collected his belongings from the Barcelona cell he was found hanged.

Struggling to hold back tears, Janice insisted he did not kill himself and blamed the US government for trying to extradite him on tax evasion charges.

Also grieving are McAfee‘s many, many children.

Last year he said had 47 kids, 61 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren, although little is known about them.

But they would likely be seeking inheritance from their late father, who last year said he “took care of them financially”.

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Janice has blamed husband John McAfee's death on the US

Their cybersecurity pioneer dad became filthy rich after creating the eponymous antivirus software — which by 1994 netted him a £72 million ($100m) when he sold it.

But by 2007, McAfee revealed his wealth plummeted to just £2.8m ($4m) after stocks and property values crashed with the onset of the Great Recession.

Much of his riches from selling his antivirus software company had been invested into building mansions for the super-rich, which he could then not sell.

Yet he allegedly managed to claw back his fortune.

Certainly the party-loving renegade made no secret of his love for lavishing his wealth on women, guns and drugs.

Instagram posts laid bare his wild lifestyle.

But McAfee was claimed to have become super-rich again by avoiding tax.

John McAfee was known to have a wild lifestyle

In October US Justice Department’s tax division released a statement alleging he earned millions of dollars in income from promoting cryptocurrencies, consulting work, speaking engagements, and selling the rights to his life story for a documentary.

It is claimed he then dodged tax by paying into bank accounts and cryptocurrency exchange accounts using the names of nominees.

Meanwhile, he allegedly used the same trick to conceal assets, including property, a vehicle and a yacht.

And, along with his bodyguard Jimmy Gale Watson Jr McAfee, he was also accused of promoting cryptocurrencies using large Twitter following to inflate prices.

The currencies were then allegedly sold, netting the pair $US2m ($A2.6m), prosecutors said.

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John McAfee speaking in China. Picture: Fred DUFOUR / AFP

But just days before his death, McAfee tweeted that he had nothing left because the US authorities had seized his assets.

He said: “The US believes I have hidden crypto. I wish I did but it has dissolved through the many hands of Team McAfee (your belief is not required), and my remaining assets are all seized.

“I have nothing. Yet I regret nothing.”

But it has emerged that while he claimed US authorities had seized his assets, he allegedly was connected to a money-spinning crypto-farm.

This was located in an abandoned “ghost hotel” in a Catalonian beach resort.

Thanks to a group of computer nerds-turned-detective, it appeared McAfee had shacked up in closed-down Hotel Daurada Park, which is an old rickety roadside building in Cambrils, in the north eastern Spanish region of Catalonia.

John McAfee tweeted photos of jail stay.

The tycoon had duped people into believing he was based somewhere in Belarus.

But his Instagram posting and tweets was to give his location away to the hotel in Catalonia.

In 2018 local and regional police investigated untrue claims the hotel was a brothel and was actually hosting a cryptocurrency mining operation in its basement and parking garages.

The entrepreneur fled his secret hide-out and was arrested last October at Barcelona‘s international airport and locked up.

Just hours before he was suspected to have killed himself, a Spanish court approved McAfee‘s extradition to the United States on tax-related charges that could have landed him in prison for 30 years.

But what happened to the fortune the US taxman alleged he was hiding remains a puzzle, as does the identity of the 47 kids who could stand to inherit it.

This article originally appeared on The Sun and was reproduced with permission.