British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch found in Sicily yacht wreck

LONDON – The body of British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch, 59, has been recovered from the wreckage of a boat that sank off the coast of Sicily, a source familiar with the matter told CNBC on Thursday, confirming an earlier report by Sky News.

Lynch’s daughter, Hannah, asked not to be identified due to the sensitivity of the situation, according to the source. Sky News previously reported Five bodies pulled from the wreckage were identified by the Italian coast guard, and Lynch was among the dead.

Lynch, who was reported missing on Monday, was one of 22 passengers aboard the Bayesian superyacht, which capsized when anchored off Porticello, a small fishing village in the Italian province of Palermo.

On Wednesday, Salvatore Cocina, head of Sicily’s civil protection agency, confirmed to NBC News that five bodies had been recovered from the wreckage of the boat. The only person confirmed dead by authorities so far is Canadian-Antiguan chef Regalto Thomas.

CNBC has contacted the Italian Coast Guard and is awaiting a response.

Lynch is the founder of enterprise software company Autonomy. Lynch became the target of a protracted legal battle with Hewlett-Packard after the company accused him of inflating Autonomy’s value in $11.7 billion in sales. HP wrote down the company’s value by $8.8 billion within a year of its acquisition.

Lynch was acquitted of fraud charges in June in a surprise victory in a US court following a three-month trial. He faced charges of wire fraud and conspiracy for allegedly conspiring to inflate the autonomy’s revenue. Lynch denied wrongdoing and barred the incorporation of HP Autonomy to jurors.

Lynch is the founder of Invoke Capital, a venture capital firm that backs European technology startups. He has become a key voice in support of the UK tech industry, backing major names such as the Cyber ​​Security Institute. Darktrace and legal technology company Luminance.