Who is Mike Lynch? The UK tycoon AKA 'British Bill Gates' missing after superyacht sinks

British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch, famously known as the "British Bill Gates," has disappeared following the sinking of the Bayesian superyacht. The luxury yacht, carrying 22 people, including two Americans and a Canadian, sank off the coast of Sicily during a violent storm on Monday. Mike Lynch, a well-known UK billionaire and founder of Autonomy Corporation, was among those on board.?

His wife, Angela Bacares, was also present but was one of the 15 people rescued from the 56-meter yacht. Tragically, one body was found near the wreck, while six others remain unaccounted for, according to Luca Cari, spokesperson for the Italian fire rescue service, who spoke with The Guardian.

Who is Mike Lynch? The British Tech Mogul

Credit: FT

Mike Lynch, widely recognized as the British Bill Gates, co-founded Autonomy, a software company that played a significant role in the UK tech scene during the mid-90s. His contributions to business and technology earned him numerous accolades. In 2006, Lynch was awarded an OBE (Order of the British Empire) for his services to enterprise. In 2011, he was appointed to the science and technology council of then-Prime Minister David Cameron.

The 59-year-old tech billionaire was also elected as a fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering in 2008 and the Royal Society in 2014. Despite his success, his career was marred by allegations of inflating sales figures, misleading regulators, and deceiving Hewlett-Packard, the company that eventually bought Autonomy. First charged in 2018, Lynch faced a legal battle that culminated in June this year when he was acquitted in a US trial on 15 counts of fraud related to the $11.1 billion sale to Hewlett-Packard in 2011.

Lynch, a father of two daughters aged 18 and 21, is also a dog lover with two dachshunds and four sheepdogs. According to reports, he owns a home in the upscale London district of Chelsea and also has a farm in Suffolk.

Mike Lynch's Net worth

Credit: Yahoo

Lynch appeared on the Forbes billionaires list in 2014 and 2015 with an estimated net worth of $1 billion, but he dropped off the list in 2016.?According to the latest Sunday Times "Rich List", the UK tech giant is worth ?500 million ($965 million). He became famous for his software company, Autonomy, which he sold to Hewlett-Packard for $11 billion in 2011.

How the Bayesian Superyacht Sunk

The Bayesian superyacht, flying the British flag, sank near Porticello around 5 a.m. during a severe storm on Monday. Despite rescue efforts, the yacht went down, prompting a major search operation. Of those rescued, eight, including a one-year-old child, were taken to local hospitals, where they were reported to be in stable condition.

The Bayesian, a luxurious yacht built in 2008 by the Italian company Perini Navi, initially had a price tag of 35 million euros (?30 million). The yacht’s interior features a "Japanese-style" design, with space to accommodate up to 12 guests in six suites, along with ten crew members. In 2009, the Bayesian won the award for best exterior styling at the World Superyacht Awards.

Ownership of the Bayesian Superyacht

The Bayesian superyacht has close ties to Mike Lynch’s family. According to the BBC, the yacht is connected to Lynch's wife, Angela Bacares. Maritime data service Equasis shows that the yacht is owned by Revtom, a firm registered on the Isle of Man. Angela Bacares is listed as the sole legal owner, with a registered address in London.

As authorities continue searching for the missing UK tycoon Mike Lynch and others, the incident has drawn global attention, adding another dramatic chapter to the story of the British Bill Gates, Mike Lynch.