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Interviews: McAfee Says House Fire Was No Accident
According to reports a bush fire burned down John McAfee's home in Belize on Thursday. The local fire department was unable to to contain the blaze and the the two main buildings were completely destroyed. Property Manager Noel Codd (who was not there at the time) estimated the value of the buildings at $250,000 each. Despite the reported cause of the fire, McAfee says that the destruction of his compound was no accident. We caught up with him to talk about why he thinks the fire was set and what he plans to do now. Read below to see what he had to say.
samzenpus: What have you been told about the fire and what do you think happened?
McAfee: Well, the investigators say that it was arson, in spite of the local police saying that it was a brush fire. People don't set brush fires in high winds, so this was the last of the properties. The government took everything away from me. I mean they've got so blatant that at the very end they were coming in, in broad daylight and carrying off, you know, millions of dollars worth of electronic gear and camera gear. And one time they took 300 stun guns that I was going to give to the police department, in broad daylight. But one property was not in my name, and that was the one at the river. And so, finally in one last desperate attempt to get at me, they just set fire to my two major buildings. It was at least a half a million dollars worth of buildings plus art work and invaluable items on the inside that all went up in smoke. But there it is.
samzenpus: Was anyone living there?
McAfee: Just a caretaker.
samzenpus: And he's okay?
McAfee: The caretaker was not there at the time.
samzenpus: This was your last property in Belize?
McAfee: That was my last property in Belize, went up in smoke. It's a very freeing sensation to have no burdensome taxes to pay or wages for upkeep and electricity and what have you. So they did me a favor.
samzenpus: Did anyone see anything suspicious or anyone hanging around?
McAfee: The police have actually arrested a couple of people. But if they're the ones who started the fire, they have nothing to do with it really. Just someone, you know, paid them $25 to "go and set that house on fire." The people responsible, I know who they are, and they're the same ones who've been responsible for taking all of my stuff since I was in Belize. And now there's nothing left for them to take. They must be pretty pissed off.
samzenpus: They haven't said anything to you directly or anything of course?
McAfee: No, of course not. And once I left the country, all attempts to do any formal charges simply disappeared because there was no way that they could do any formal charges. They had no evidence. They had nothing on me other than I refused to give a $2 million donation back in 2012. You know, so all they can do now is cause me a little bit of chaos and inconvenience, which I think they can cause me no more now.
McAfee: Well, the investigators say that it was arson, in spite of the local police saying that it was a brush fire. People don't set brush fires in high winds, so this was the last of the properties. The government took everything away from me. I mean they've got so blatant that at the very end they were coming in, in broad daylight and carrying off, you know, millions of dollars worth of electronic gear and camera gear. And one time they took 300 stun guns that I was going to give to the police department, in broad daylight. But one property was not in my name, and that was the one at the river. And so, finally in one last desperate attempt to get at me, they just set fire to my two major buildings. It was at least a half a million dollars worth of buildings plus art work and invaluable items on the inside that all went up in smoke. But there it is.
samzenpus: Was anyone living there?
McAfee: Just a caretaker.
samzenpus: And he's okay?
McAfee: The caretaker was not there at the time.
samzenpus: This was your last property in Belize?
McAfee: That was my last property in Belize, went up in smoke. It's a very freeing sensation to have no burdensome taxes to pay or wages for upkeep and electricity and what have you. So they did me a favor.
samzenpus: Did anyone see anything suspicious or anyone hanging around?
McAfee: The police have actually arrested a couple of people. But if they're the ones who started the fire, they have nothing to do with it really. Just someone, you know, paid them $25 to "go and set that house on fire." The people responsible, I know who they are, and they're the same ones who've been responsible for taking all of my stuff since I was in Belize. And now there's nothing left for them to take. They must be pretty pissed off.
samzenpus: They haven't said anything to you directly or anything of course?
McAfee: No, of course not. And once I left the country, all attempts to do any formal charges simply disappeared because there was no way that they could do any formal charges. They had no evidence. They had nothing on me other than I refused to give a $2 million donation back in 2012. You know, so all they can do now is cause me a little bit of chaos and inconvenience, which I think they can cause me no more now.
Stop feeding this loser's paranoia and fame, he is an irrelevant person, that hasn't mattered in decades.
No, of course not. And once I left the country, all attempts to do any formal charges simply disappeared because there was no way that they could do any formal charges. They had no evidence. They had nothing on me other than I refused to give a $2 million donation back in 2012. You know, so all they can do now is cause me a little bit of chaos and inconvenience, which I think they can cause me no more now.
As I tried to ask during the first interview who are these people? What have you got to lose in naming them right now? Do they have power in the United States? What's holding you back?!
They can cause you no more chaos or inconvenience and yet you refuse to name them -- WHY? This could only be further evidence in your accusations! Do I have to buy your book to find out or something?
My work here is dung.
The day that Slashdot finally became a gossip mag has arrived.
Tomorrow on Slashdot we interview Britney Spears about her new tits and on Wednesday we'll have an interview with Taylor Swift about how many times she feels she's been shafted by her boyfriends.
Really, McAfee is the best celebrity you can get Slashdot? He's not even had anything to do with tech for what, 20 years?
Jobs doesn't have anything to do with Apple any more, but that doesn't stop all these articles about Jobs in tech, financial, and political news. Still not sure why he changed his first name to H-1B. Star Wars Droid fan?
McAfee says that the destruction of his compound was no accident.
Remind me why we care about this guy? Just because his name is on some software that he is no longer involved with doesn't make it relevant. Every story I've had the misfortune of coming across regarding this guy leads me to believe he is a (possibly paranoid) publicity seeker who is telling a bunch of tall tales in order to get attention. Enough already.
"Mick-kaf-fee" or "Mack-uh-fee"? Never gotten a straight answer.
It's pronounced "crazy as a fucking loon"; all the letters are silent. (BUT WHO SILENCED THEM?!?!?!?)
Wish I had mod points... Escaping from being a target is one thing, waging war is quite another matter. Corrupt and even small organized crime eventually dabbles in drugs (readers do realize Belize is a drug haven??) and that market has a FAR reach not just with money but the employees in that industry are dangerous and some quite desperate. Bring attention to some mild players who may draw attention to some bigger "job creators" who don't want the attention and they can cheaply and easily afford to mark you for death. Hell, too much sunlight might bring up CIA connections causing even more troubles... it's McAfee... who will be thinking beyond just reasonable theories.
He is right about the $25 to some nobody to burn down a house. Could be somebody who just thought he was a crazy prick paid somebody to do it. Hell, if he could get insurance or publicity, he could wire somebody down there to do it to himself with little chance of it tracking back to him.
I don't find his story that crazy - clueless nerds living on the computer without much exposure to corruption, having hardly left the basement or cubical... Many people will sound a bit nuts when in a new unknown situation in a panic; it would be normal to be extra paranoid until adjusting to the reality. People who are odd or eccentric or a little crazy are often easily dismissed like a retard eyewitness. What they say could be completely correct and it is foolish to completely dismiss their word. I bet a lot of nerds on here would be hard pressed to win public support if they were accused of molesting children... the introverted nerd types who are not well known and popular are easy targets for people's imaginations... You don't even have to have any flaws to be mischaracterized.
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