The Saga of a Tech Exec’s Sunken Yacht Just Got a Lot More Interesting

A small implicit a period ago, the 184-foot yacht belonging to tech millionaire Mike Lynch abruptly sank. The vessel had been anchored disconnected the seashore of Sicily, wherever it had been parked for a nighttime of partying, erstwhile an unexpected “freak storm” came up successful the waters nearby. Within 16 minutes, the vas went down. Lynch, his 18-year-old daughter, his lawyer, and respective others, each drowned arsenic a result.

The tragic incidental instantly inspired suspicion owed to the bizarre timing of the yacht’s sinking. Lynch and his chap travelers had been aboard the vessel to observe Lynch’s caller ineligible victory: the tech enforcement had precocious been recovered not guilty successful a decade-spanning fraud lawsuit that progressive a multi-billion dollar woody to merchantability his bundle institution to Hewlett-Packard successful 2011. After years of warring accusations of fraud related to the deal, a U.S. tribunal had—only 2 months earlier the tragic boating incident—acquitted the tech enforcement of each charges related to the case.

Now, successful a twist that is definite to rankle conspiracy theorists, CNN reports that the yacht, known arsenic the Bayesian, whitethorn incorporate watertight safes that clasp “super-encrypted hard drives.” Lynch seemingly did not spot unreality services and, arsenic a result, took encrypted drives with him whenever helium went sailing. Those drives, successful turn, whitethorn “contain highly delicate information tied to a fig of Western quality services,” the outlet reports, citing 4 sources acquainted with the section constabulary investigation.

To bolster this argument, CNN stresses Lynch’s high-level authorities connections, noting that helium was “associated with British, American and different quality services done his assorted companies” (Lynch was progressive with the cybersecurity industry, which often works manus successful mitt with authorities agencies), and successful the past, helium served arsenic an advisor to aggregate British premier ministers, including David Cameron and Theresa May.

Authorities are present trying to prehend and support the sunken hard-drives. CNN reports that constabulary are stepping up information and underwater surveillance astir the sunken vessel, seemingly fearing that it mightiness beryllium targeted by overseas governments (Russia and China are some mentioned).

It’s an exceedingly weird twist to a communicative that has already had plentifulness of weird twists. Case successful point: Stephen Chamberlain, Lynch’s concern spouse (and the co-defendant successful the precocious concluded ineligible proceedings), died the aforesaid time that Lynch’s vessel sunk. Chamberlain had been struck by a car portion jogging connected August 17th and succumbed to his injuries 2 days later. While this whitethorn dependable similar thing consecutive retired of Michael Clayton, it whitethorn besides conscionable beryllium a coincidence. The evident operator of the conveyance that deed Chamberlin is described arsenic having been a 49-year-old pistillate who “remained astatine the scene” aft constabulary arrived.

Lynch’s bundle company, Autonomy, was acquired by Hewlett-Packard for $11 cardinal successful 2011. When the woody went through, Lynch was serving arsenic Autonomy’s CEO. Shortly aft the woody went through, however, Lynch near the company, and the company’s operations rapidly unraveled. He was subsequently accused of inflating the worth of Autonomy successful the play earlier it was sold to Hewlett-Packard. Lynch denied these charges and maintained that HP bungled the operations of the institution aft it was purchased. After years spent successful courts warring the charges, an American tribunal yet agreed with Lynch’s story.

Lynch’s attorney, Chris Morvillo, who helped him triumph the lawsuit against HP—also died, on with his wife, erstwhile the Bayesian sank. The mates had been celebrating the ineligible triumph alongside Lynch.