Bayesian yacht sinks: What is tech billionaire Mike Lynch’s net worth?

British tech billionaire Mike Lynch is among the six individuals missing after the superyacht Bayesian sank off the coast of Sicily during a severe storm. The yacht, which was carrying 22 people, capsized near Palermo early on Monday morning. Italian emergency services have confirmed that one person has died, and rescue operations are ongoing to locate the missing individuals, including Lynch’s 18-year-old daughter, Hannah Lynch.

Mike Lynch, 59, is a prominent figure in the tech industry, known for founding Autonomy Corporation, a software company that gained significant recognition in the UK during the mid-1990s. He was recently acquitted of all charges in a high-profile fraud case involving the sale of Autonomy to Hewlett-Packard (HP) for $11.1 billion in 2011. The trial, which took place in the United States after he was extradited from the UK, cleared him of accusations related to inflating sales figures and misleading regulators.

Once dubbed the “British Bill Gates,” is valued at $648 million according to the Sunday Times Rich List. He has received numerous accolades, including an OBE for services to enterprise in 2006, and was a member of the science and technology council under former Prime Minister David Cameron.

What happened on the Bayesian?

The Bayesian, a 56-meter luxury yacht, was reportedly owned by Lynch’s family. It had departed from the Sicilian port of Milazzo on 14 August and was last tracked near Palermo before the incident. The yacht was caught in a violent storm, with local reports suggesting a waterspout might have struck the vessel.

A waterspout resembles a small tornado and involves a rotating column of wind and water over a body of water.