Tech innovator Mike Lynch found dead after his yacht sank near Sicily

The body of Mike Lynch, a prominent British tech entrepreneur, has been discovered in the wreckage of a capsized yacht off the coast of Sicily, according to a source familiar with the matter. Despite an extensive search, Lynch’s daughter, Hannah, has yet to be located. The source, who requested anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the information, confirmed that Lynch was among those tragically missing in the accident.

Lynch had been missing since Monday and was one of 22 passengers aboard the Bayesian superyacht when it capsized near Porticello, a picturesque fishing village near Palermo, Italy.

Salvatore Cocina, who heads Sicily’s civil protection agency, said Wednesday that five bodies had been recovered from the wreckage. Recaldo Thomas, a Canadian-Antiguan chef, was among those identified.

Lynch was best known as the founder of the business software company Autonomy. He was embroiled in a long-running legal dispute with Hewlett-Packard, which accused him of inflating the company’s value in an $11.7 billion deal, leading to a substantial write-down. Lynch was acquitted of all fraud charges in June in the United States after a three-month trial, in which he defended his actions and criticized the management of the merger.

In addition to his corporate successes, Lynch also founded Invoke Capital, a venture capital firm dedicated to supporting European technology startups. He has been a vocal supporter of the UK technology sector, backing major companies such as cybersecurity firm Darktrace and technology law firm Luminance.

Following his untimely passing, the tech community expressed deep sorrow. Russ Shaw, founder of Tech London Advocates and Global Tech Advocates, commemorated Lynch as a pioneering figure in British tech, highlighting his unique ability to harness technology to solve significant challenges and successfully bring those solutions to market.

The Royal Academy of Engineering, which made Lynch a Fellow in 2008, expressed its deep sadness and extended condolences to his family, noting his active contribution as a mentor and board member. On the social media platform X, Lord John Browne, former CEO of BP, noted that Lynch should be remembered for sparking a wave of innovation among deep-tech entrepreneurs in the UK and for his lasting impact on global science and technology.