John McAfee

History is sympathetic to its authors.

John David McAfee (18 September 1945 - June 23, 2021) was an American computer programmer, businessman, founder of McAfee Anti-Virus company, and a 2016 Libertarian Party presidential candidate.

Quotes[edit]

A good example is more irritating than a bad one.
- From a presentation in Munich, Jan 1991, in response to an audience question on why his competitors complained about his business practices.^{[specific citation needed]}

If you own the facts, you may distort them as you like.
- To anti-virus researcher Pame Kane at the 1992 Computer Virus Conference in response to Kane’s assertion that McAfee’s virus scanner did not work.

Ignorance and confidence are constant companions.
- Into the Heart of Truth (2001)

Disobedience is the vehicle of progress.
- Explaining why he did not follow the normal rules of business to reporter Josh Quittner in 1992

If the majority holds some thing of value, you can be certain it has none.
- Anti-virus presentation, Sydney Australia, 1991, on the general trend away from virus scanning as a valid method of virus control.

If you have the winning cards, why cheat?
- Good Morning America (June 1991) when asked if he manipulated the results of his product’s virus detection percentage.

Software production is unlike any other production that preceded it. No raw materials are required, no time is required, and no effort is required. You can make a million copies of a piece of software instantaneously for free. It's a totally new paradigm of production.
- "Nerds 2.0.1 - A Brief History of the Internet", Part 3
I think that it's when we step out of the road, step outside the box, become our own person and we walk fearlessly down paths other people wouldn't look at, that true progress comes. And sometimes true beauty as well.
- BBC News: "John McAfee: Addict, coder, runaway" (11 October 2013)

I am not implying that our entire Government is corrupt. I am saying that it is corrupt to the point that no-one is untouched by it.
- on Twitter, 10 Jun 2019

Getting subtle messages from U.S. officials saying, in effect: "We're coming for you McAfee! We're going to kill yourself". I got a tattoo today just in case. If I suicide myself, I didn't. I was whackd.
- on Twitter, 1 December 2019

Well, God is trisexual, number one. We all know that, I mean those of us who've taken heroin certainly know that. [...] Okay, male, female, and shemale. I mean, good God people, have you never watched fucking Pornhub!?
- on Painkiller Already, Episode 493, 30 May 2020

I am content in here. I have friends. The food is good. All is well. Know that if I hang myself, a la Epstein, it will be no fault of mine.
- on Twitter, 16 October 2020

For better or worse, John McAfee is a name we all know. In true McAfee style, he is slowly but surely surreptitiously installing himself in the cryptocurrency community – usually in places where he’s probably not needed.
- Matthew Beedham in The Next Web: "John McAfee is a PR machine for shitty cryptocurrencies" (7 August 2018)

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John McAfee