British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch has gone missing following the tragic sinking of a superyacht off the coast of Sicily. The incident, which occurred early Monday morning, has left several passengers unaccounted for, including Lynch, who is well-known for founding the enterprise software firm Autonomy. His wife, Angela Bacares, was fortunately rescued, but the search continues for the remaining passengers.
The 50-meter superyacht, named Bayesian, was anchored off the coast of Porticello, a quaint fishing village in Palermo, when it was struck by an unexpectedly violent storm. The storm hit around 5 a.m. local time, causing the vessel to capsize. Despite efforts by Italy’s coastguard and firefighters, only 15 of the 22 people on board were brought to safety, including a one-year-old baby. The suddenness of the storm is believed to be the primary cause of the yacht’s sinking.
Lynch, 59, who became embroiled in a lengthy legal battle with Hewlett Packard (HP) over allegations of inflating Autonomy’s value before its $11 billion sale, was acquitted of fraud charges in June after being extradited from Britain to the U.S. His acquittal came after a grueling three-month trial, marking a significant chapter in his career. Now, just months later, his fate remains uncertain as authorities continue their search for the missing passengers.
The sinking of the Bayesian, a yacht named after the statistical theorem, is a stark reminder of how quickly a serene coastal scene can turn into a life-threatening situation. As the search operation continues, the tech world is left in shock, hoping for a miracle amid the uncertainty that looms over the fate of Mike Lynch and the other missing passengers.
