LONDON – The body of 59-year-old British technology entrepreneur Mike Lynch has been recovered from the wreckage of a yacht that sank off the coast of Sicily, a source conversant in the matter told CNBC on Thursday, confirming earlier reports from Sky News.
Lynch's daughter Hannah remains to be missing, in response to the source, who wishes to stay anonymous attributable to the sensitivity of the case. Sky News previously reported that the Italian Coast Guard had identified five bodies recovered from the wreck and that Lynch was among the many dead.
Lynch, who was reported missing on Monday, was one in every of 22 passengers on board the Bayesian superyacht that capsized at anchor within the small fishing village of Porticello within the Italian province of Palermo.
On Wednesday, Salvatore Cocina, the top of civil protection in Sicily, confirmed to NBC News that five bodies had been recovered from the wreckage of the yacht. The only person whose death authorities have thus far confirmed is Recaldo Thomas, a Canadian-Antiguan chef.
CNBC has contacted the Italian Coast Guard and is awaiting a response.
Lynch was the founding father of enterprise software company Autonomy. He became the goal of a lengthy legal battle with Hewlett Packard after the corporate accused Lynch of inflating Autonomy's value in an $11.7 billion sale. HP was forced to take an $8.8 billion write-down on the corporate's value inside a 12 months of the acquisition.
Lynch was acquitted of fraud charges in June in a surprise victory in a US court after a three-month trial. He was accused of wire fraud and conspiracy for allegedly attempting to inflate Autonomy's revenue. Lynch denied any wrongdoing and told jurors that HP botched the combination of Autonomy.
Lynch was also the founding father of Invoke Capital, a enterprise capital firm that backs European technology startups. He became a significant voice within the UK tech industry, backing major names corresponding to cybersecurity company Dark trail and the legal tech company Luminance.
After the news of his death, Lynch was given his last respects.
Russ Shaw, founding father of technology industry groups Tech London Advocates and Global Tech Advocates, said Lynch “leaves a legacy as one of Britain's great modern technology entrepreneurs”.
“His ability to understand how technology can solve big challenges and then successfully commercialize them was truly unique,” Shaw said in an emailed statement to CNBC. “Mike will rightly be remembered for his work in nurturing some of the UK's biggest technology companies, including Darktrace, Luminance and Sophia Genetics.”
The Royal Academy of Engineering, which made Lynch a Fellow in 2008, said its Trustees, Fellows and staff were “deeply saddened” by the news of his death and “extend our sincere condolences to his family”.
“We have fond memories of his energetic role [as a fellow] up to now as a mentor, donor and former council member. He was also one in every of the founding members of the Enterprise Committee,” the academy said on social media platform X. “Our thoughts are along with his family and friends at the moment.”
Lord John Browne, the former CEO of energy company BP, said in a post on X that Lynch “needs to be remembered as the one that created a generation of deep-tech entrepreneurs within the UK. His ideas and private vision were a significant contribution to science and technology within the UK and world wide.”
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