Did crypto mogul John McAfee fall overboard the Freedom Boat? Or was he seized by the IRS? The rumors started mounting after a tweet from his account stated “developing events have made it necessary for John McAfee to go dark.”
Another PR Stunt from John McAfee
John McAfee has been “on the run” (this time around) from the U.S. authorities since January 2019. Well, not exactly on the run in the physical sense of the words. Since his vessel, the Freedom Boat has been docked in Georgetown, Bahamas.
Still, supposedly safe from extradition for various counts of tax evasion while shacked up in the Caribbean island, the pirate of the high seas continues to run his presidential campaign, make Bitcoin price predictions, and generally entertain his following.
No surprise then that this latest tweet was met with a healthy dose of skepticism. Or that it turned out to be a prank, with McAfee tweeting out just hours ago that was “defiant” and “free as ever.”
Those who read "go dark" as "incarcerated" shouldn't play lotto this week. Here's @officialmcafee & @theemrsmcafee safe and sound in their new backyard as defiant, joyful and free as ever. Stay tuned… pic.twitter.com/e3T8wirhge
— John McAfee (@officialmcafee) May 17, 2019
It was around the same time last year that the cybersecurity pioneer said he “feared for his life.” He claimed then that the U.S. government was out to get him.
That time around, he posted a series of videos eluding to his issues with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that had forced him to “go underground.”
Crypto Twitter Remained Rightfully Skeptical
Highly revered by some and regarded as a clown by others, love him or hate him, John McAfee is hard to ignore.
He promised to ingest his own genitals on national TV if Bitcoin doesn’t reach $500k by 2020. He’s claimed several death threats on his life and repeatedly stated that the government is out to silence him. The man’s life is packed with drama.
He is also known for his heavy consumption of dubious crypto, drugs and alcohol. That may explain the smattering of typos in the majority of his tweets. Perhaps also the ridiculous ramblings about Ethereum being too hard to spell, Dogecoin being “adorable”, and Vitalk being oddly dressed.
Folks asking my opinion of Ethereum:
Well . . .. Frankly, I prefer one syllable coins and am not fond of Ethereum's spelling. Additionally, many of my friends who hold Ethereum dress oddly. And, of course, Buterin looks underfed to me. But do not take this as investment advice.
— John McAfee (@officialmcafee) May 15, 2019
Followers alluded to Mr. McAffee’s various addictions and made comments like “this isn’t his first rodeo” and “PR stunt.”
Rule #1 of going dark:
Do not announce to 916,000 people that you’re going dark.PR stunt!
— John Miles (@imjmiles) May 17, 2019
There was also a flurry of rumors about him being captured by the IRS:
McAfee taken as a POW and being held as a detainee in a irs labor camp close to where his pirate ship was last reportedly seen
— Crypto♤Nitro [Buy $BTC] (@adiobox) May 16, 2019
However, it turns out McAfee was just toying with us all once again, proving that you can’t keep an old dog down for long. This latest stunt was just more misdirection from the man who’s incapable of ‘going dark’ for long.
Just a few days ago he wrote:
The U.S. Gov. thinks it’s watching me. I’m the master of disinformation and obfuscation. Must be in.order to make McAfee Inc fight an army of hackers. It is me that is watching the U.S. Gov. You will soon see the truth. Silence me and hundreds will cintinue to release the Truth.
Will John McAfee’s bitcoin price prediction come true in 2020? Share your thoughts below!
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