A super yacht sinking because of a freak water storm off the coast of Italy feels like a far-fetched White Lotus storyline, but it is sadly the very real cause of the death of British billionaire Mike Lynch. Following The Bayesian’s fatal accident in Sicilian waters on August 19, which Italian authorities have confirmed killed Mike Lynch, his 18-year-old daughter Hannah Lynch, and five other people present on the boat, three crew members are reported to be under investigation for possible manslaughter.
One of the charged is Captain James Cutler, whose lawyers have stated Captain Cutler is “very worn out” in the wake of the news as they work to “acquire a set of data that at the moment [they] don’t have” for his defense. Yikes. But the strange incident is raising eyebrows not only because of the nearly statistically “impossible” scenario that led to an “unsinkable” super yacht capsizing. Mike Lynch’s recently settled lawsuit against Hewlett-Packard, as well as other details around the case, have led some observers to look more closely at his death.
Who is Mike Lynch?
Mike Lynch is a tech billionaire from the UK, who many people consider to be the British Bill Gates after he sold software company Autonomy to HP for 11 billion dollars in 2011. In 2012, HP claimed Autonomy had been over-valued by 8.8 billion dollars which led to a years-long legal battle that ultimately resulted in Mike Lynch and his co-defendent Stephen Chamberlain being acquitted of 15 charges of corporate fraud in a US court in June of 2024 (though Autonomy CFO had been separately convicted on charges related to HP in 2018).
Why did Mike Lynch’s boat sink?
Mike Lynch, his family, and members related to his legal team were on a celebratory cruise in Italy two months after the US criminal trial wrapped. On Sunday, August 18, 2024, the ship was anchored in a typically safe spot for ~superyachts,~ only half a mile from Sicily’s coast. But around 4AM the following morning, a sudden gust of rough winds sunk the boat within minutes. Experts theorize the cause of the sinking could have been a strong downburst of wind caused by a thunderstorm, also known as a tornadic waterspout. The ship’s manufacturer said this could have possibly caused the boat to take on water if it wasn’t properly secured in response to the storm. “Earthquake-like” winds were also felt on the shore.
Why do people think there is something weird about Mike Lynch’s death?
Mike Lynch was on the Bayesian, a $40 million yacht that the ship’s manufacturer has since defended as “unsinkable” when properly operated. The uncharacteristically long mast was specifically designed to handle a large degree of wind. The boat was anchored in a known safe harbor in the area and the rare phenomenon of water spouts is more common in tropical waters. The last time a water spout sunk a boat of this size, according to The New Yorker, was in the 16th century. Mike Lynch died soon after being acquitted in his contentious case against Hewlett-Packard. So did his co-defendant, Stephen Chamberlain, who was hit by a car while jogging in Cambridgeshire two days before Mike’s accident, later dying in the hospital the same day the Bayesian sunk. Mike Lynch was judged to owe 4 billion in damages to HP as a result of the UK lawsuit, which he is no longer alive to contest or counter. Do with that info as you will!
