Who’s Missing From Sunken Yacht? Tech Mogul Mike Lynch and Five Others

Mediterranean Tragedy: A Celebration Cruise Ends in DisasterA superyacht cruise on the Mediterranean Sea was meant to be a celebratory event for British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch, who had recently been acquitted of fraud charges related to the sale of his company, Autonomy, to the tech giant Hewlett-Packard. However, the celebration turned into a tragedy when the 180-foot yacht, named the Bayesian, sank off the coast of Sicily during a violent storm. Out of the 22 passengers aboard, 15 were rescued, one body was recovered, and six others remain missing. Search operations continued at the site of the sunken yacht on Tuesday.
Mike Lynch and His Family: A Leading Figure in the Tech WorldMike Lynch, 59, is a British software entrepreneur often compared to Bill Gates. He founded the software firm Autonomy, which specialized in analyzing unorganized data, making it one of the most prominent British technology companies of its time. Lynch became a well-known corporate leader, advising British Prime Minister David Cameron and joining the board of the BBC.
The HP Sale and a Decade-Long Legal BattleIn 2011, Lynch sold Autonomy to Hewlett-Packard for $11 billion, far exceeding its market value, which earned him hundreds of millions. However, HP investors quickly became dissatisfied with the deal, leading the American tech giant to fire its CEO and Lynch. HP later accused Lynch of misleading them about Autonomy’s business, sparking a decade-long legal ordeal. Lynch, who denied the accusations, faced charges in the U.S., where Autonomy’s CFO was convicted in 2018.
U.S. Trial and AcquittalDespite appealing to the British government, Lynch was extradited to the United States last year and confined to a townhouse in San Francisco ahead of his criminal trial, which began in March. Facing the possibility of decades in prison if convicted, Lynch and a colleague were acquitted of all charges, bringing an end to the legal saga. (Sigorta Haber)