John McAfee's Legacy Resurrected: AI-Powered Meme Coin Sparks Controversy

John McAfee Springs Back From the Grave as an AI, Promoting a New Meme Coin

LiPo Ching / MediaNews Group / The Mercury News via Getty / Futurism Antivirus guru and erstwhile tax outlaw John McAfee is back from the dead, at least on social media, and he wants to sell you a meme coin. Three-and-a-half years after his 2021 apparent suicide in the face of extradition from Spain to the United States, the former presidential candidate's X-formerly-Twitter account sprang back to life, announcing that an "AI version" of McAfee called AIntivirus and promoting a meme token of the same name. "You didn't think I would miss this cycle," McAfee's account teased, "did you?" Almost immediately after the mostly-silent account woke up from its slumber to start shilling crypto, folks online began to speculate that it had been hacked, prompting the late fugitive tech founder's widow, Janice McAfee, to set the record straight. "John's account has not been hacked," the widow said in a video on her account, which was subsequently shared by the official McAfee page. "This project is real, AIntivirus is real." As of right now, it's unclear what role AI plays in the project, or whether McAfee's widow is operating his official page or the @AIntivirus account, which has over the past day tweeted up a storm in the late programmer-turned-criminal's voice. In one post, the AI version of the late programmer-turned-criminal announced that paperwork had been filed to get the token $AINTI onto the Moonshot crypto marketplace. "The token nobody thought would exist (and probably shouldn't) is gunning for the crypto app where anything can happen," the account posted. "No idea what'll happen next. Maybe they'll list it. Maybe they'll laugh and ban my account." "Either way," the post continued, "the rocket's fueled, and I'm not steering." In another post, written again in McAfee's voice, the AI clone of the alleged tax evader jeered at those who thought he and his widow had been hacked. "You think I got hacked? I wrote the damn playbook," AIintivirus wrote. "Every 'hack' you've ever heard of is just someone fumbling through tricks I mastered decades ago while chain-smoking on a yacht." In a post retweeted by the AIntivirus account, Ethereum co-founder Charles Hoskinson -- who also "welcomed" the late antivirus czar back from the dead -- jokingly derided the digital resurrection and "dubious crypto scam" as "the most John McAfee thing possible." "It's going to develop a digital drug habit within a week," Hoskinson quipped, "and then start a metaverse called New Belize before escaping to Europe." If only the world could be that simple.

John McAfee 'returns from the dead' to promote a memecoin on Elon Musk's X

Well, his account on Elon Musk's X has been revived at the very least. On Wednesday night, John McAfee's @officialmcafee X account started posting again even though McAfee himself was found dead from suicide in June 2021 in a prison in Spain while awaiting extradition to the U.S. To be fair, the X account belonging to the eccentric founder of McAfee antivirus hadn't been completely dormant since his death. His wife, Janice McAfee, had been using his account with more than 1 million followers to mostly post and retweet other users' posts about John. "I'm back with AIntivirus. An AI version of myself," @officialmcafee's post reads. "You didn't think I would miss this cycle did you?" McAfee's X count is referencing the current crypto cycle which has seen an explosion in the popularity of memecoins, buoyed by President Trump's recent launch of his own $TRUMP token. Speculation quickly ran rampant on X about McAfee's account possibly being hacked. However, @officialmcafee followed up with another post in an attempt to calm those fears. "John's account has not been hacked," the account posted. "This is the real deal." McAfee's widow, Janice, then posted a video on her own X account on Thursday morning explaining that the @officialmcafee's post was legit. Well, to be clear, not the part where John McAfee has been resurrected in the form of AI. Janice shared that the memecoin is a legitimate crypto token that she created to "honor John's legacy." McAfee was no stranger to cryptocurrency before he died. In fact, McAfee had been indicted on crypto-related fraud and money laundering charges in addition to the tax evasion charges that landed him in prison in the first place. McAfee reportedly lost much of his $100 million fortune before he died. According to his widow in 2023, McAfee died without a will or estate so he did not leave her any money behind. As of the publication of this piece, McAfee's AIntivirus memecoin is sitting at a market cap of $37 million.

Back From the Dead? John McAfee's Twitter Used to Promote Solana AI Token - Decrypt

The late cybersecurity mogul and controversial figure, John McAfee, appears to be making an unexpected posthumous return to the crypto space -- or so his X account would have people believe. Early Thursday, McAfee's X account posted an announcement for "AIntivirus-John McAfee AI incarnate," an AI-driven token built on the Solana blockchain. The announcement declared: "I'm back with AIntivirus. An AI version of myself. You didn't think I would miss this cycle, did you?" The controversial tweet included a link to the project's website and a purported official contract address. The crypto community remains unconvinced, raising questions about whether McAfee's account -- or the project -- might be compromised or controlled by someone else. "In a world overrun by surveillance states, corporate greed and digital enslavement, the AIntivirus is the ultimate disrupter," the project's official website states. Blockchain security firm PeckShield initially flagged the account as compromised in a now-deleted tweet. They later walked back the claim, stating the account was not hacked. The AIntivirus ($Ainti) token is priced at $0.3326, boasting a market cap of $33,264,756.88 as of press time. It has a supply of 99,999,870.39 tokens, with 13,956 holders, according to Solscan data. McAfee's widow, Janice McAfee, defended the project, claiming it was a tribute to her late husband's vision of privacy, freedom, and technology. "Ever since John's untimely death, I have been looking for ways to honour the genius he was and build on the legacy he left behind," she wrote on X. "John would have loved this cycle crypto is in and I am happy to have found a project that allows him to participate posthumously." Yet, some skeptics, including crypto analyst Adam Cochran, were not convinced. "Not hacked... just an AI grift coin from the account of checks notes ...a dead guy," Cochran posted Thursday. "McAfee's wife spells "honor" the American way, not the English way," Psedyonmous Coinbase ambassador cometcalls noted with skepticism on X. "Either her account is compromised, or she has secret handlers who control the crypto project." "Welcome back, John. It's good to hear from you again," Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson sarcastically welcomed McAfee back. "You were missed, even if it's a crude simulacra of your former glory." "John being resurrected as a dubious AI crypto scam [is] the most John McAfee thing possible, Hoskinson slammed the late antivirus software magnate. "It's going to develop a digital drug habit within a week and then start a metaverse called New Belize before escaping to Europe." Muddying the waters, there's now a new X account claiming affiliation with AIntivirus. It emerged within hours of the announcement. The account cryptically stated, "I stand apart from cults -- I'm here to spark thought, not blind following. Stay vigilant and think freely," responding to user skepticism. McAfee's name is undeniably linked to one of the most well-known cybersecurity products in the world. As the founder of McAfee Antivirus, John McAfee became a pioneer in digital security, earning millions and building a global reputation in the 1980s and 1990s. However, his life took a sharp turn after selling his stake in the company in 1994, plunging him into legal troubles, tax evasion charges, and international scandals. His history in the crypto world is equally chaotic, from failed projects like $GHOST to alleged pump-and-dump schemes that netted millions. He made a notorious $1 million Bitcoin prediction and infamously promised to "eat his dick on live TV" if the price didn't reach the mark by 2020. Suffice it to say, his reputation remains polarizing. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) sued the tech mogul in March 2021 for endorsing many crypto initial coin offerings (ICOs) on X without disclosing that he was paid to promote them. In June 2021, he was found dead in a Spanish prison while awaiting extradition to the U.S. Authorities ruled his death a suicide, though conspiracy theories insist there's more to the story, as per a CNN report. Prosecutors accused him of misleading investors and profiting millions through fraudulent crypto promotions before his arrest in Spain on tax evasion charges. With his Twitter account promoting a new crypto project, many wonder if this is another elaborate scheme exploiting McAfee's legacy or a genuine attempt to honor his life. With McAfee's account claiming, "This is the real deal," but many people are still expressing doubts, the AIntivirus token adds another chapter to his tumultuous crypto legacy.

John McAfee AI token adds surprise chapter to his crypto story

Anyone who was around in the early days of crypto remembers John McAfee. From his political diatribes riddled with conspiracy theories to his insistence that crypto was the future, he embodies some of the independent mania that defined the early crypto industry. And on Jan. 23, an X account of the deceased cybersecurity developer and iconoclast made a surprise announcement that made it seem like he had risen from the grave, or at the very least that his X profile had been hacked. "I'm back with AIntiviris. An AI version of myself. You didn't think I would miss this cycle did you?" the post said. Blockchain security service PeckShield initially warned that McAfee's account was hacked but later retracted its statement. "Correction: it has not been compromised," PeckShield wrote. According to the AI project's website, the token is a "string of defiance wrapped in cryptographic brilliance" that "represents freedom, privacy and sticking it to the establishment." The copy sounds like McAfee himself could have written it. An anti-government, pro-crypto conspiracy theorist accused of murder, McAfee played an unforgettable role in blockchain's frontier years. From viruses to crypto to eating his own d*ck McAfee started as a computer programmer in the early days of digital computing, bouncing between household-name firms like NASA, Lockheed and Xerox. He released his first antivirus software in 1987. By 1994, he'd made millions and sold his stake in McAfee Associates. The '90s and early 2000s were spent on a string of ventures until 2016, when he was appointed chairman of tech holding firm MGT Capital Investments. McAfee shifted the firm's focus to blockchain tech, which he believed was an important aspect of cybersecurity, before leaving in 2018 to spend all his time on crypto. Related: John McAfee's widow launches memecoin, but some suspect a scam He quickly became a divisive figure in the crypto industry. During the initial coin offering boom, when hundreds of tokens raised eye-watering valuations and vanished into thin air, McAfee made his bag promoting projects for a hefty fee. The entrepreneur said he charged $105,000 per tweet for promotions. His team even published a guide for how the scheme would work. Some claim that he sought up to 20% of the tokens of any project he promoted. In the age of relatively small market caps and limited liquidity, these kinds of endorsements from big names, even from less-than-reputable eccentrics like McAfee, could send a token price skyrocketing for a time. McAfee didn't shy away from price predictions, either. In July 2017, he famously said that Bitcoin would hit $500,000 in three years (at the time, it was trading in the low four figures). To add gravitas to his prophecy and show how much he believed in his powers of prediction, McAfee said he would eat his own penis if he were wrong. He later reneged on his promise. McAfee launched his own project in 2019, a supposedly decentralized crypto exchange called McAfee DEX that is now defunct. The platform notably launched McAfee's WHACKD token, which spread the conspiracy theory that sex offender Jeffrey Epstein did not kill himself. Legal troubles, the presidency and life on the high sea Even before McAfee got into crypto, he had numerous run-ins with police (in more than one country) over charges related to unlawful possession of firearms (it's hard to find a recent picture of him not holding a gun) and even murder. In 2012, police in Belize suspected him of murdering American immigrant Michael Faull. The story, which is recounted in a Netflix documentary that came out after McAfee's death, involved McAfee evading Belize police and fleeing to Guatemala. He was eventually extradited to the United States. McAfee refused to show up in court when a wrongful death suit was filed against him, and he ended up paying Faull's estate $25 million. These legal issues didn't stop McAfee from announcing a bid for president of the United States in June 2018. While it's now clear that crimes are no impediment to becoming president, perhaps the most unique elements of his campaign were running on a third-party ticket and the fact that, actually, he didn't want to become president. He told Cointelegraph in November 2018: "I don't want to be president. I couldn't be...no one's going to elect me president, please God." Instead, he wanted to use the platform of a presidential campaign "to talk about personal freedom and how cryptocurrency can help us achieve that." Months later, McAfee would join L. Ron Hubbard and Harvey Houtkin in the ranks of American eccentrics who lived at sea to avoid the authorities. From his yacht, he continued his presidential campaign with the help of his wife and select staff, avoiding a supposed grand jury indictment from US tax regulators. McAfee's time at sea aptly involved arrests on gun possession, reports of narco-fueled bacchanals and, of course, the launch of a cryptocurrency. On April 11, 2020, McAfee tweeted that his new privacy coin Ghost would soon be tradable against other cryptocurrencies via atomic swaps on tMcAfeeDex. "With a DEX/privacy coin combo we now have full control of our finances!" he said. However, McAfee's campaign didn't see election day. On Oct. 5, 2020, Spanish police arrested him for tax evasion at the request of the US Department of Justice. Just one day after, the Securities and Exchange Commission filed a complaint alleging that he and his bodyguard promoted ICOs and fraudulent crypto "pump-and-dump" schemes. McAfee would spend almost a year in prison, where he frequently was able to get tweets out through his lawyer. Related: Fake TRUMP and MELANIA tokens record $4.8M inflows in 24 hours Famously, he posted that if he died in prison, it wouldn't be by his own hand. Seven months later, McAfee was found dead in his cell. On the same day, a Spanish judge ordered his extradition to the US. After his death, Professional Capital Management CEO Anthony Pompliano remembered a meeting he had with McAfee. "He was kind, funny, and incredibly intelligent," Pompliano wrote. "RIP to one of the world's most unique individuals." Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson noted McAfee's contribution to computer science, calling him "one of the most enigmatic and interesting people in the cryptocurrency space and the history of computing." Hoskinson said, "The reason for the suicide seems self-evident -- McAfee was 75 years old, and the extradition to the US was approved, he was looking at over 30 years in jail, if convicted, and likely would have been [...] it seem that he decided to choose ending his life there in a Spanish prison rather than a U.S. prison." McAfee's wife, Janice McAfee (the woman pictured right in Pampliano's tweet), said it was hard to move on after her husband's death, telling Cointelegraph in November 2023 that she wasn't allowed to see the autopsy report. She said that because of the charges against him and his lack of an official will and testament, whatever wealth he had left when he died disappeared. For better or weirder or worse, McAfee left his mark on the world. According to his most recent post on X, he'll leave a few more.

Remember John McAfee? He Now Has A Meme Coin Too (Called 'AIntivirus')

The token was minted on Jan 6 with a 100 million token supply and was later moved to 277 other wallets. John McAfee's wife Janice Elizabeth McAfee has launched an AI meme coin named after the her late husband's most famous selling product, Antivirus. On X, she announced plans to uphold McAfee's principles of freedom, privacy and technology while incorporating elements of cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence. John McAfee's X account, also managed by Janice, communicated through its projected AI persona, indicating his continued relevance in the cryptocurrency space. The initiative claims to have created "John McAfee AI incarnate," hiring an AI to generate responses reminiscent of McAfee's style. However, the authenticity of these communications has been questioned, as they do not closely echo McAfee's unique voice, despite his known history of promoting various tokens. Despite the initial enthusiasm surrounding the project, concerns have arisen regarding its token distribution. Records reveal that all 100 million tokens minted in early January were transferred to various wallets, with only a small fraction allocated for liquidity on major decentralized exchanges. Critics have noted that merely 1.6% of the total tokens are available for trading, raising questions about the potential for insider trading and a lack of transparency regarding the project's tokenomics. Read Next: Donald, Melania Trump Meme Coins Are A Personal Brand Play, Says Anthony Pompliano Image: Shutterstock This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors. Market News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs