Gringo: The Dangerous Life of John McAfee (2016) Movie Script

1
This is 18, 1081.
No, sir.
No, sir.
How much money
do you have in here?
Maybe $4,000.
$4,000?
Yes, sir.
The FBI?
Precisely.
The name McAfee reminds me
The name McAfee reminds me
of my very first laptop.
Like most PCs
in the '90s,
it had McAfee antivirus
software preinstalled.
Software security guru
John McAfee,
he made millions
as one of the nation's
first big
software pioneers.
I didn't think about
that name again until 2012,
when John McAfee
was all over the news.
John McAfee, whose name
was synonymous with security,
is now becoming synonymous
with the mysterious murder
of McAfee's neighbor,
Greg Faull.
Of McAfee's neighbor,
Greg Faull.
I read about John's
bizarre lifestyle in Belize,
including being wanted
for questioning in a homicide
and going on the run.
A murder in paradise,
as police launch
a fullscale search
for an eccentric
American tycoon, John McAfee.
2016,
just a few years later,
John was again in the news,
this time, he was running for
President of the United States.
Antivirus software industry
pioneer John McAfee,
throwing his hat into
the 2016 presidential ring.
Throwing his hat into
the 2016 presidential ring.
What has created terrorism?
Our interference in the affairs
of foreign states.
Dropping bombs on families.
And talking about
some of
the most significant
cybersecurity issues
of our time.
But no one was talking
about his past.
You are an expert,
and I know you're brilliant
when it comes to matters
of security.
We are in
the first cyber war.
You said that you
could unlock
the San Bernardino terrorists'
phones for the FBI.
How did John McAfee
reinvent himself?
Are there different rules
Are there different rules
for people with money,
power, and fame?
Or is John just
a master manipulator?
The last 15 years,
I've been making documentaries
on complex and controversial
celebrities.
I've been fascinated
with how being famous
can put you under
a cruel spotlight.
But it can also allow
for extraordinary privileges.
Like the ability
to get away with things.
Was this the case
with John McAfee?
John, where are
you going?
John, where are
you going?
To jail.
What really happened in Belize?
Suspenseful music
When I started the film,
I reached out to John.
He refused
to do an interview.
But he repeatedly
emailed me.
He would say,
"Do not contact me again."
He would say,
"Do not contact me again."
And then email me
five seconds later.
He said...
Even though he refused
to be interviewed.
It started a strange,
yearlong cyber relationship.
In the meantime, I investigated
his story in Belize.
Tropical music
John moved to San Pedro,
Belize, in 2008
and he bought a beautiful
beachside property.
And he bought a beautiful
beachside property.
Buenas tardes.
Just look out there,
you'll see why.
The most beautiful water
in the world.
An offshore reef
that lets me
build a house
right on the beach.
Can't do that in Florida.
How would you describe
this island, San Pedro?
How would I describe
my island?
Yeah.
Well, it's a beautiful island.
Yeah.
Well, it's a beautiful island.
It's the most beautiful island
in this country.
We've got 42 dive sites
from here
within a threemile radius.
It's great.
It's fantastic.
And everybody speaks English.
And, I mean, how many Americans
like English?
This is
a major destination
for people to try to run away
from the United States.
From the United States.
Approximately every
four, six months,
U. S. Marshals
will come down.
They already know
where everybody is.
They'll go through the island
and just make a sweep.
There's expats here
that really like to
immerse themselves
with the local culture.
And the, you know,
the local culture
loves a rich man,
you know?
Everybody knew
John McAfee.
When he first came into
the country,
he was very friendly.
He was very friendly.
I really thought he was
a very nice person.
He bought prime property.
He used to bring his friends
from the States.
We are getting a lot
of tourists because of him.
John started
donating things
to the police department.
Very generous.
Extremely generous.
He told us, "Guys, anything,
you need help,
my doors are open."
My doors are open."
He donated
a considerable amount
of equipment to police.
Boots, stun guns,
different assortment of weapons.
I recall, when he get his
residence card here,
he gave the government of Belize
a $1 million boat.
And that made the news here.
Why this donation
to the Coast Guard?
I've just become a permanent
resident of Belize,
I've just become a permanent
resident of Belize,
and I'm very grateful
that the country of Belize
allowed me to live here
permanently.
And I wanted
to give something back.
You have to wonder,
if you're giving donations
to the police,
is it out of the goodness
of your heart?
Or are there
some motives behind it?
You know, why didn't you
build that library, or
You know?
The schools always need
another classroom.
There's a lot
of different ways
There's a lot
of different ways
you can be generous
with your money.
Entrepreneur John McAfee
is still doing
what comes naturally:
starting new businesses.
This is an entrepreneur's
paradise, here.
There are virtually
no regulations on business.
McAfee started
a ferry service.
He's also cultivating
jungle plants
that he hopes will be
the building blocks
for medicines of the future.
I was doing my
postdoc, I was at Harvard,
but I always heard
about Belize.
Just how amazing
the jungles were
and the local healers.
Decided to go to Belize
and just see
what it was
all about, you know?
But anyway, we'll talk about
that, then.
I ended up
meeting John McAfee.
Yeah, I didn't know him
from Adam,
but I told him about
my research,
and he seemed engaged.
He seemed interested,
and within, you know,
minutes of conversation,
and within, you know,
minutes of conversation,
he offered me my dream job.
He said, "You can continue
your research,
and we'll make
a business out of it."
And I thought,
"Oh, my God."
I mean, this is
this is it.
This is, like,
my big break.
There was not a space
for the lab,
and he had me stay with him,
um, which made me
very uncomfortable.
I saw a lot of stuff
when I was living in his place.
He had armed guards.
I'm not a huge fan of guns.
Um, he had meetings
with people that were
also armed.
With people that were
also armed.
Um
At one point he said
that he was working on a book
with two heavily armed,
very built men
from the Ukraine.
I mean, I don't know, this is
probably not relevant.
I'm sorry, this is
That's okay.
This is the tangent that I told
you I would go on.
Yeah, that's okay.
That's part of interviewing.
It's just, there's
There's a lot
of tangents.
Peoplewe all do it.
Oh, fuck, there's just
there's so much crazy shit.
There's so much crazy shit
that I don't even know
that I don't even know
You know, it's hard to know
where to start.
I wanted to start
with John's past.
In emails he was evasive.
But I managed to dig up
some of his records.
He was born in England,
and grew up
an only child in Virginia.
According to John, his father
was an abusive alcoholic
and committed suicide
when John was young.
Eventually, John graduated
college and became
Eventually, John graduated
college and became
a computer engineer.
In the 1980s, he tried his luck
in Silicon Valley.
McAfee, may I help you?
Speaking.
It's one of those
strange days.
His first efforts with
antivirus were in late '86.
And, uh, he was
always playing
with different kinds of code.
There was this new problem
with computers,
that was ayour computer
could catch a cold.
Okay, there it goes.
In Budapest, uh,
we have a hospital
that lost 25 systems.
Uh, including
all patient recordshello?
When John came up
with antiviral software,
90 % of the people
that were running computers
weren't even aware of viruses.
And then viruses started
getting names.
It's called Michelangelo.
It's called Michelangelo.
It's a lowdown work
of sabotage
that could wreck millions
of computer programs
around the world.
What is a computer virus?
A computer virus, Bryant,
is a program
written by a hacker.
Any computer that it's in,
it activates
and destroys all of the data
in those systems.
John showed his first
signs of savvy,
working with the media.
Able to articulate
a scary story.
This doomsday virus
was about to hit.
The entire research
community agrees,
this is the number one virus.
It is the number one
computer threat.
It's real,
and it's going to happen
on the 6th of March.
The Michelangelo Virus
caused many people
around the world
to download
antivirus software
for the first time.
That's how the money
just started rolling in.
By 1993, McAfee controlled
67 % of the desktop
antivirus market.
They only had about
20 employees.
Do not stand in doorways.
Stand against
But there were already,
like, $14 million in revenue.
They were printing money.
Excuse me.
It still was a group
of John's original friends
and family that worked there.
A lot of them didn't have
careers before.
Excuse me.
Gretzky, Tech Support.
John had more, like,
a cult style.
And people would not go home
for two and three days.
They would sleep
under their desk
They would sleep
under their desk
to make sure John was happy
with the work they were doing.
Okay, what you need to do
in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file
It was a crazy culture,
that's for sure.
Three of the women
were supposedly witches,
and they would sit
in the conference room
and have, like,
a little chant.
Andrea Nation would come in
in the morning
with a bottle of Windex
and clean off
Bill Larson's desk.
Because there was
a sex contest going on.
Because there was
a sex contest going on.
You'd get points.
They had a group called
Little Foxes,
where they, um,
would give points
for, uh, having sex
in different spots
of the office.
John being this free spirit,
that made the culture
of the company.
He wasn't the typical
suit and tie guy.
The investors wanted
to take the company
to the next level.
To the next level.
And that was definitely not
John's forte.
They felt like John
couldn't do that
and I think that John
didn't want to do it, either.
They bought John out.
They bought his shares out.
He sensed the virus threat
in a way
that most people didn't.
He seemed brilliant
but also paranoid.
He is more sensitive
than, maybe,
the average person
than, maybe,
the average person
to potential threats.
My wife thought it
a little funny
when he came next door,
looking for his wife Judy,
who was over visiting
with us,
'cause he wasn't home yet.
And he shows up,
and heand so,
I let him in the house
and he's got
a gun in his back pocket.
And I says
Susan said,
you know, uh,
"Is that a gun in your pocket,
or are you just happy
to see me?"
You know?
And, you know, he just,
"Oh, well, you know,
it's dark out, there's no street
lights on this street.
You never know."
But they were making
quite a bit of money then.
But they were making
quite a bit of money then.
And maybe somebody
kidnapped his wife.
So he came over to see
if we'd seen her.
Is that paranoid?
I don't know.
Pensive music
After earning millions
in Silicon Valley,
John did not retire.
He created social network
ventures
like Tribal Voice
and PowWow.
But they didn't take off.
But they didn't take off.
Then in 2000, he exited
the business world completely.
He bought 280 acres
of land in Colorado
and opened a yoga
and meditation center.
I've been doing yoga
and meditation for 35 years.
Given the life that I lead
and I admit,
I lead life on the edge.
I have to do something.
So I believe in yoga.
Yoga will extend your life,
and it'll also give you a clear
perspective of yourself.
And it'll also give you a clear
perspective of yourself.
I asked John
how he got involved in yoga.
After he opened
his yoga center,
he began inviting people
to stay there.
Got up there, and there's
this beautiful house.
These stunning yoga studios
and probably space
for about 25 people to sleep.
Massive grounds and literally
like his own forest.
Massive grounds and literally
like his own forest.
It was kind of too big
to even get my head around,
this massive place
that one guy owned.
And he'd let you
stay there for free.
Pain is nothing more
than a powerful sensation,
is it not?
I mean, it'sit's your body
talking to you
like your body talks to you
when you get a massage
or when you're
sexually aroused.
Yeah, there was
rumors in town
it was a cult
that he had up there,
up in the hills.
Up in the hills.
He always had
an entourage,
like, a tribe,
which was beautiful.
What is this thing
that you want
to make immortal?
Because to live is to die
simultaneously.
I truly believe
he washe was enlightened.
He washe was a guru.
He'd written five books
on the yoga process.
They're really good.
They're really good.
Later, I remember
him saying
that they were all shit.
He was insinuating that he
wasn't into that stuff anymore.
You know, there was
a definite shift in personality.
He was a different
I mean, you could
he was still John.
You know,
but he was not
he just wasn't
a gurutype anymore.
He didn't have
he wasn't enlightened.
The next time I saw him,
I'm like, "Okay."
The next time I saw him,
I'm like, "Okay."
In this recession,
the average American
is certainly pinching
every penny.
But the man you are
about to meet
is one of the biggest losers.
It's staggering, really.
Good morning,
ladies and gentlemen.
Welcome to the estate
of John McAfee.
Welcome to the estate
of John McAfee.
On Saturday, auctioneers
worked up bids
for the rarified retreat
of a wealthy man
who's taken it on the chin
in this recession.
It's been reported you were
worth about $100 million.
That may have been true.
Yet now you're
Less than ten.
Less than $10 million.
You bet.
You seem
so remarkably relaxed
for someone who's lost
about $90 million.
Well, yeah.
And why wouldn't I be?
The things we want
and the things we need
are two different things.
Are two different things.
Did it take you a while
to come to that realization?
Yeah, about 65 years.
Now, McAfee plans to take
his remaining handful
of millions
and head to Central America,
where he started
a new venture
to develop natural medicines.
I asked John
if he moved to Belize
because he lost
so much money.
He said, "Not at all,
I lost very little."
So I asked
if he transferred his money
to offshore accounts.
I was living
on the island of San Pedro.
Fishing and boating and having
a great old time.
But I was bored silly.
Hey, how you doing?
Lively music
He was living
in San Pedro.
He was living
in San Pedro.
And he called me one day
and tell me
he wants to go
to an archeological site.
Why don't I take you
to Lamanai?
And he said, "Lamanai?
Where is that?"
I said it's in
the Orange Walk District.
John was impressed
with what he saw.
He said, "I'd love to buy
some property here."
All right, get ready
for some serious
"Heart of Darkness" here.
Till eventually,
when I told him
about this piece that was
available, he settled on that.
He decided
he was gonna buy that.
So is that
a big deal in this area?
So is that
a big deal in this area?
To provide so many jobs?
Definitely, you know?
Because...
speaking Spanish
I was hearing about
what a good guy John was
from some of his old pals.
But then there were people
who were really afraid
to talk to me.
I know, more or less,
everything that happened.
I know, more or less,
everything that happened.
Mmhmm.
And I don't really
want to come out on TV.
But you're not saying
anything bad.
Yeah, but then he
won't like that.
He'll feel like I betray him.
Why?
'Cause he, like,
was very secretive,
and I don't want to.
He told me that he knows
everything going on
in the whole country
of Belize.
John moved us to
the mainland, to Orange Walk.
I finally had
a lab building built.
You know, so I just
I tried to keep my head down.
I tried to get back to work.
John would have
reporters come
John would have
reporters come
to view the lab.
And I said, "Look
you know, I have nothing."
These 22 acres,
on the banks
of what the Mayans once called
The River of Strange Faces,
are owned by McAfee.
So when I come back in a year,
this will look a lot different,
I would imagine.
Right, well, you'll see
shade cloth everywhere.
Mmhmm.
And hopefully
will be production
of some fairly unique
pharmaceuticals.
He was confused and upset
that I didn't have,
you know,
something more to show.
You know,
something more to show.
And so he would have me
just put, you know,
different colored dyes
in the bottles.
Or make up batches
of, you know,
what I had already researched.
And I said, you know,
"This feels dishonest."
And he said, "No, you know,
it's just business.
That's what we do.
We're just trying
to get investors,
and we wanna, you know,
get people's attention,
you know?
I promise you
it's gonna work out."
Ehh, yeah.
Ehh, yeah.
John was doing a lot
of press in Orange Walk.
I came across
several interviews,
including audio recordings
with print journalists.
I was the only
White man, the only foreigner
in the entire district
of Orange Walk,
which is 10,000 people,
and that covers
about 1/5 of the entire country
of Belize.
So it should have been
a warning sign to me
that I should have
walked more carefully
or acted less obtrusively.
Speaking Spanish
His attitude was changing
about paranoia, I think.
He was getting
a little paranoid.
Intense music
I start to see more
and more security people.
Like, a lot.
So he didn't mind
that you said
One day
I told him this, I said,
"John, why are you
surrounding yourself
with these people?
These people are gonna get you
into trouble."
And that's when he told me
the story, "These people,
nobody wants to hire them.
They're badass, they got
police record this long."
I said, "So you employ them
and put firearms
in their hand.
You think
that's gonna go right?
I think he really wanted to
create a sort
of a cult or a mystique
around himself
of a cult or a mystique
around himself
as a White man on the edge.
Like Colonel Kurtz.
And here he is
in the heart of darkness.
And did he travel
in town with a bunch of guys?
And did he travel
in town with a bunch of guys?
Like, how many guys?
Ooh, we had at least
12, 13 guys.
Is that normal
to have 12 security guards?
John got weirder
and weirder.
He would go on these rants.
He talked about taking over
the Belizean government.
He talked about taking over
the Belizean government.
He talked about his hit men,
and at this point
I was starting to believe it.
You said hit men.
Did you mean to say hit men
and not security guards?
Yes, he would
absolutely call them hit men.
He would talk about
his hit men,
he would talk about
how he could
have people hurt or killed.
And, um, you know,
honestly, I wasI was scared.
I planned to leave.
But I needed to figure out
how to do it, you know?
But I needed to figure out
how to do it, you know?
I went to talk to him.
I sat there on the couch
and I told him everything.
I said, "Look, I don't
I don't like what you're doing.
I am not getting anywhere
with my work.
I feel undermined.
And, um, you know,
I miss my family.
I wanna go home."
And, uh, you know,
I had a headache.
I was
I was crying so much.
I told him
I had a headache.
Andand he
Andand he
He brought me, um,
he, you know,
he went into the other room
andand he brought me
two pills and a glass
of orange juice.
And, um
So I took them,
Iyou know, and I
I took a sip
of the orange juice
and itit tasted foul.
It tasted bitter, um
I'm such an idiot.
II remember I made a joke
about not being able
to get good orange juice
in a place called Orange Walk.
To get good orange juice
in a place called Orange Walk.
Like, I honestly...
I only have, sort of,
flashes
of recollection.
He was standing over me,
naked.
And I woke up
the next morning
and I was sick.
I was dry heaving,
and I was dizzy.
I was dry heaving,
and I was dizzy.
And I grabbed my clothes.
I don't even remember
taking them off.
And, um, I went back
to my house.
And I locked myself
in my apartment.
And I, um
I sat in the shower.
I sat in the shower for
I don't know,
until the water ran cold.
And I was crying.
And I was bleeding.
Somehow I found the courage
to confront him.
John acted as if
nothing happened.
And I said, "I'm leaving.
I'd like to split
on fair terms
and if you could buy me out
of the company."
I remember I just started,
um, a very calm conversation,
and he went from...
zero to crazy
in, like, two seconds.
Zero to crazy
in, like, two seconds.
He called me
all kinds of names
and pushed me
through the door
of his Orange Walk compound.
I locked myself
in the lab,
and I thought,
"He's dangerous."
I started destroying
all the samples.
And, um, you know,
any of the reagents
that he could have used
against someone.
And, um
And, um
I emailed my dad.
I had just about,
maybe, ten minutes
to do this.
I emailed my dad,
and, um,
bought a plane ticket home.
And as soon as I, like,
hit send on that email,
he cut the power.
He cut the email
and he cut the power.
He was pounding on the door.
Mad, screaming,
just screaming.
And he left.
And he got a gun.
And he came back.
I was hiding
beneath the benches.
I'd made some friends
by that point.
And I texted my friends.
And I said,
"Guys, you gotta come get me."
Like, and he could have
broken in.
He didn't.
I don't know if he went
back in the house
or what happened.
But my friends came
to get me.
But my friends came
to get me.
And they escorted me out.
And hid me
at a relative's house.
And, uh, took me to the plane
the next morning.
When I first got home,
I contacted the FBI
about what had happened to me
in Belize.
Unfortunately, they have
Unfortunately, they have
no jurisdiction in Belize.
Um, so nothing could be done.
I'm mad at myself
for not realizing
who he was sooner.
'Cause he's dangerous.
One morning,
John McAfee called me.
And he said,
"I need to chastise this guy.
And he said,
"I need to chastise this guy.
To teach him
a little respect."
So John asked me
if I could bring
three guys up here.
Three bad, meanass
looking guys.
To slap him up a little
and tell him,
"Be careful."
So I did.
Where did you
find them?
In a place called
George Street
in Belize City.
They were very much a part of
the bad boys of George Street.
They were paid
3 grand, U. S.
I brought them up
to Orange Walk.
They knew what
they needed to do.
I left them here.
I recall seeing
a police officer
at the roadway,
right at the barrier
where the tollbooth is.
Then John said,
"Oh, he's on our side.
He's on our team."
So did they beat him
up when they caught him?
He told me he wanted
to talk to the guy personally.
I suggested to him
that that's not a good idea.
He said, "No, I just want
to talk to him."
I think he wanted
to make his point, like,
"Don't fuck with me."
"Don't fuck with me."
Somehow they led him up
to the vehicle
and put him inside the vehicle
to talk to John
for about four
or five minutes.
Then John drove off.
David was taken
to the hospital.
Policedid they talk to him?
Yeah.
So why
didn't he tell them?
David Middleton is still
clinging to life
at the Karl Heusner
Memorial Hospital.
He is still under coma.
He is still under coma.
Before he slipped
into a coma,
Middleton told police
that he had been abducted,
beaten, and stabbed by two men
who came to his house
in Orange Walk.
He says he did not know
either of the men,
who drove
a white pickup truck.
He died on Friday
at the KHMH,
and it is now
a murder investigation.
And then he died.
I said, "Oh, fuck."
I had a vehicle
fit the description
I had a vehicle
fit the description
of the one they said
this guy was picked up in.
So II got nervous, really.
I was just waiting around
to see if an investigation's
gonna happen,
if somebody's gonna
show up at my door
and want me
for questioning or something,
you know?
I didn't sign up for that.
That's not what
I had in mind at all.
I reached out
to David Middleton's family
and they provided me
with pictures,
but they decided
not to be on camera.
But they decided
not to be on camera.
They were afraid that it would
put their lives in danger.
They told me that
when they tried to find out
what happened to David,
they were warned to stop
asking questions
and to leave the country.
They called him MAC10
because when he pissed off,
what's what he use, a MAC10.
Speaking Spanish
speaking Spanish
I hear one was looking
for the other to kill him,
and the other was looking for
the other to kill him, and
But I also remember
John told me
that people who was
his enemies,
who's out there
trying to harm him,
he goes and hires them.
Like, keep your enemy
as close as you can.
From that time, you know,
I started working for him.
From that time, you know,
I started working for him.
John's desire
to live without limits
was extending into
every part of his life.
Pensive music
pensive music
I live a lifestyle
which might be
over the line
of normal behavior.
It's a lot of fun.
I get to hang out
with cute girls
who are scantily clad.
I do have teenage girlfriends.
And many at a time.
Nothing illegal.
They're well beyond
the age of consent.
And I'veI see
nothing wrong with it,
and if you do,
then that's okay.
How many girlfriends
did he have?
Ooh.
Ooh.
I can't keep count, um
I would say at least
five or six girls, you know,
that live in at the house.
He was Belize's
Donald Trump.
This dog here,
I got him from John.
Dreamy music
dreamy music
Majority of John's
girlfriends,
I was the one introduced John
with the girlfriends.
Paz is who
introduced me to John.
He'd tell me,
"Oh, there's a guy
He'd tell me,
"Oh, there's a guy
who's paying
a lot of money
just to sleep with him
one night."
So I said,
"Well, okay."
I used to get $900 per day.
Yeah, John used to
pay me good.
I needed the money, too,
at that time,
'cause I had my baby girl.
So I had to
buy things for her.
And thank God my little girl
is growing up.
I used to drive around
in a vehicle
that John would offer me,
finding girls.
Probably I introduced
3540 girls.
Yeah.
I was 18
when I met him.
I fell out of school
because of
the financial problems
of my parents.
That's why I went to his house
and asked for a job
and I started working.
He started giving me,
like, presents
a few days after we started
dating then.
He treat me good,
so I started liking him.
These were young women
who had very challenging
life situations.
They have horror stories
of what happened in their past.
So he didn't need to say,
"Well, I'm going to pay them
into prostitution."
No, it wasn't that.
It was simply,
here's a rich guy
who is just willing
to take them in.
Um, one morning,
Um, one morning,
I was sleeping
in the bedroom
and my stepfather came
and touched my private parts.
I went to tell my mom,
my mom just cried.
So I got fed up with it
'cause she never believes.
So I went, then he said,
"Get out of the house."
So I packed my bag
and I went.
I had to stop school.
And that's when I got
to John McAfee.
Then he gave me money
to go to school.
Then after that
he start calling me,
Then after that
he start calling me,
and asked me to go there,
and I told him okay,
it's not a problem.
So I went there.
And I sleep with him.
John said, "You are not
the only girl.
I have more than one
girls here.
I don't want no fighting,
and I'll treat all the same."
I was pretty young,
so I'd be like, "Okay."
Everyone wanted to be
number one, you know?
Everyone wanted to be
number one, you know?
And they were just
another number.
He treat me the best.
He takes me out on lunch.
He take us to San Pedro Town,
go shopping.
John McAfee used to
treat me
well, I say the best.
He's always around me,
and when they call him
he would just
cut off his phone
'cause he's with me.
He would spend most of the time
with me in the room.
And he would bring me breakfast,
and, you know
And he would bring me breakfast,
and, you know
He treated all the girls,
them, nice.
Tell them they're beautiful,
and the right stuff
the girls wanna hear.
I think they'll stay there
for the money at first
and then most of them,
eventually,
had real,
true feelings for him.
They're young, too.
It was exciting for them,
living in this big house,
and having trips and stuff
that they wouldn't normally
and having trips and stuff
that they wouldn't normally
would have if they didn't
meet Mr. John.
Had you ever lived
like that before?
No.
Had you ever
had sex for money
prior to that or
No.
That was my first time.
I was ashamed,
but then I got used to it.
What did he
have you do?
Um, sit on this hammock,
the hammock has a hole.
He puts you in a hammock.
Then after that he lies
under the hammock.
Then after that he lies
under the hammock.
Then he, um
You know, he would cut
cut a little hole,
and he would sit there.
Mmhmm.
That's what he use it for.
'Cause hehe wanted
to have, like,
scat sex then, and I didn't
agree with that.
What is scat sex?
It when you poop
in someone's mouth.
He used to make you
shit in his mouth.
He used to make you
shit in his mouth.
Like that.
I never had done that before
and it was an experience
for me, and
He puts his in
under your butt and...
he ask you to shit
in his mouth, and so
Did he ever have
regular intercourse
like, vaginal intercourse?
No, no.
None of that.
That was only thing I did.
I think I was grateful,
I think I was grateful,
because I wanted
to finish school.
And, um, he was helping me.
So I didn't care about
what he did.
So, um, I was worrying about
finishing school
and doing something
with my life.
When I moved
to the village of Carmelita,
I decided I would try
to clean it up.
And to do it legally,
And to do it legally,
well, it makes sense
to hire offduty officers
to collect information.
And from that information,
maybe they can go
and do something.
And they did.
I have an officer living
on my compound.
It makes me feel safe.
Makes me feel safer
to know that all the criminals
that might want to rob me
know there's
a policeman living there.
And they think there's
something wrong with that.
I was awoken
at 6:00 a.m. by a commotion.
Megaphones and dogs barking
and people yelling.
And I went outside
and saw 42 soldiers
in attack formation,
coming down the driveway
with automatic weapons.
Load!
What's the GSU?
I would like to think
that they are
this specialist
group of police officers
who pride themselves
as being incorruptible.
Who pride themselves
as being incorruptible.
Make weapon ready!
They are special forces.
The maximum military thing
that the country has.
Because if you think
you get away
with the police, okay, fine.
These guys, they don't come
to play with you.
These guys are coming for you.
I'm pushed up
against the wall.
Handcuffed, searched.
They show me a warrant.
I didn't get a chance
to read it.
I spent the next 14 hours
handcuffed.
Why did the GSU decide
to raid McAfee's compound?
Why did the GSU decide
to raid McAfee's compound?
Intelligence at the time
suggested that McAfee
was massproducing narcotics
or some
psychotropical substance
that he was offering
for sale, unrivaled.
What did they find?
What did you guys find,
exactly?
Besides the arms
and the amount of security,
there was some blocks
of something
that he was producing
that resembled
methamphetamine or cocaine.
It was built like that.
It was produced like that.
It was built like that.
It was produced like that.
But when tested,
it did not in fact
reveal the properties
that would have
rendered him liable
for criminal prosecution.
They took me
to Belize City.
They charged me
with having one firearm
without a license.
It took the intervention
of the U. S. Embassy
to get me out.
They were planning
on trying to find a way
to charge me for having
an unlicensed lab.
The lab was shut down
18 months ago.
Even if I did need a license,
Even if I did need a license,
it's no longer relevant.
McAfee says he's a victim
because he didn't
donate money
to a known UDP
Orange Walk politician.
A representative of the
government came by and said,
"Why don't you donate
$2 million to the party?"
I said, "Get the fuck
off my property."
A week later, 42 armed soldiers
stormed my compound.
And I'm just sitting down
with Reuters News.
So now I'm going public
with this.
And so I went I went
to the world press.
And so I went I went
to the world press.
And now I'm a danger
to the government.
They talk about murdering me.
They talk about murdering
all my cohorts and friends.
They talk about
planting drugs and guns.
I was terrified now
that they were coming for me.
When he came back,
then he brought the entourage
of all the bodyguards,
all of the prostitutes
and girls that were with him.
To see somebody
on a tourist beach,
and they have two or three
armed guards,
and they have two or three
armed guards,
that's very intimidating
to the tourists
as well as the locals.
It disturbed the locals
quite a bit.
McAfee had a reputation
in the neighborhood.
Greg said he's just
a rich American
and he's just terrorizing
the neighborhood.
Greg was very vocal
of not liking McAfee
and I heard from other people
that McAfee didn't like Greg.
I think he lived
600 feet south
I think he lived
600 feet south
of John McAfee on the beach.
Gregory Faull,
he came to retire in Belize,
and because he was
into construction,
he was going to build
and sell homes
and that's how
he was surviving.
So this was
a hardworking man.
Greg, he always told me,
"You know, I love to walk
from my house
down the beach
to Rojo Lounge.
To go to eat and have
a few drinks."
He says, "But McAfee
has armed guards on the beach.
He says, "But McAfee
has armed guards on the beach.
Not one.
Several.
Including some mean dogs."
His dogs ran loose
on the beach
and they were
really ferocious dogs.
And I even remember
walking by there one time
and these dogs were just
really lay into you.
Greg went to McAfee's house.
And said, "John, you gotta
take care of these dogs.
And said, "John, you gotta
take care of these dogs.
They're disturbing
the neighborhood."
And John reached over
to one side
and came back
with a 12gauge shotgun,
cycled the shotgun,
says, "Get off my property
or I'll shoot your ass."
Greg came to me
and he says,
"Eddie, I got this problem
that is not going
to go away."
So I told him, "This is not
something to play with.
Go to the police.
Make a report."
Greg did put a
complaint against John's dogs.
Greg did put a
complaint against John's dogs.
And I did respond to Greg.
The Mayor says,
"I've talked to the police
to go up there
and deal with it,"
but that didn't change him.
Why would it change a man
who is buttering the police
with Tasers, with vehicle,
with guns?
Greg Faull had
had it with those dogs,
and said,
"I'm gonna poison those dogs."
A day later,
John's dogs were poisoned.
About 12 in the night,
one of the security came
and said that the dogs
is foaming through their mouth.
So he went
and he saw the dog.
And then he said, you know,
"The dogs have been poisoned."
That's what he said.
The first thing
came in his mind
was that it was his neighbor.
Greg?
Mm, Gregory Faull.
He got his shotgun.
And I said,
"What are you gonna do?"
And he said he is gonna take
the dog out of their misery.
And then he started crying.
I never saw him cry
until that day.
And, um, he went to the dogs
and he shot the dogs.
He was walking, like,
from one side of the room
to the other side.
While he was walking,
he was smoking
cigarette after cigarette,
cigarette after cigarette,
cigarette after cigarette.
He said, "I wonder
if it's Greg Faull
that poisoned my dogs."
You know?
Oh, look.
Look who's here.
Nice to see you, man.
Oh, how are you?
He left me a message
that night,
saying that, "There's somebody
in my yard."
And I said,
"Do you want me to come up?"
"No, no," he says.
"It's okay.
I just wanted you to know."
He was nervous,
that's why he called me.
He says, um,
"I don't feel good about it."
The next day,
Mr. Faull was found dead.
In the morning, early,
my nephew, Finn,
calls me and he says,
"Tio, have you heard?"
I said, "Heard what, Finn?"
He says, "Greg is dead."
I says, "Oh, shit."
I still can't believe it.
There's no sign
of burglary.
Nothing was missing.
The place wasn't ransacked.
It just appeared that he had
basically been executed.
And were there any
other marks on his body?
And were there any
other marks on his body?
His whole body
covered in Taser marks,
which were not necessary.
Sometimes I have visions
of what happens
when you get shot
in the head.
When you get shot
in the head.
And I just can't believe
it ever happened to my son.
Why were you looking
for John?
Well, because...
Yeah.
A murder in paradise.
Police launch
a fullscale search
for an eccentric American
tycoon, John McAfee.
Some breaking news
from Belize.
Some breaking news
from Belize.
John McAfee, who's been
on the run
John McAfee is a person
of interest
in the murder of his neighbor.
Tech mogul at the center of an
international murder mystery.
Tonight, McAfee is being hunted
for questioning
in the murder of his neighbor.
We had CNN in English,
we had CNN in Spanish,
NBC, ABC, the whole alphabet.
If you're fearing
for your safety,
why not just go in and tell them
what you don't know
about this murder?
If I am detained,
this is where people
just simply disappear.
They choke on their own vomit
or hang themselves
or are beaten to death
by fellow prisoners.
Or are beaten to death
by fellow prisoners.
John sent me a text
and said,
"We have to move."
And I went to take out money
from John's account.
$2,000.
And I took it where he was
hiding at the boat place.
Two days after
the Greg Faull thing,
John calls me and says,
"I need you to keep me safe
and get me
out of the country alive."
We went to, like,
a Chinese place,
where he started
painting his hair
and that's where
Tom took us.
I had some sleepless nights
because I'd have to get up
and move him
to another location.
Then I start
meeting journalists.
He, um,
contacted the press
'cause he said he wanted
to clear
his side of the story
and why he is on the run.
The search to find John McAfee
began right here
at the airport,
not long after I landed.
And it began
with three simple words.
"Sorry, I'm late."
A prearranged code word
to let me know
A prearranged code word
to let me know
I'd met the person who would
take me to McAfee.
And so we get in this cab
and take off on just a crazy
drive through Belize City.
It was like a bad movie.
We were doing, you know,
switchbacks and turnarounds
and then it's like,
"Get out! Get out!"
And then wehe's like,
"No, get in there!"
And it's another cab we get in.
It's not the Belize you see
in the travel pictures.
It's not the Belize you see
in the travel pictures.
You know, this is not
the pretty part.
And then eventually,
we stop in the parking lot
of a really
lowrent looking hotel.
When we finally got
to John McAfee,
he's wearing
an outlandish disguise.
Kind of like an old man
with a crippled arm,
powder in his hair
to make himself look old.
And he's walking with a cane.
John McAfee
is coming towards us.
Only it wasn't John McAfee.
It was John McAfee in really
in a really bad disguise.
In a really bad disguise.
We all knew
it was John McAfee.
But your problem is that you
really wanna talk to him,
and I'm afraid that if I say,
"Hey John, how you doing?"
He's going to explode
andand storm off,
and our opportunity
to interview him would be lost.
So we did what we thought
was the prudent thing to do,
and that was ignore him.
We get up to his hotel room.
And 20 seconds later,
he bursts into the room.
And the shawl he had over his
shoulders, he flings off.
And the shawl he had over his
shoulders, he flings off.
And he shakes his hair
of all this powder.
"Fooled you, didn't I?"
And, of course,
you're like, "Yeah.
You sure did."
And then, there we were.
Face to face.
Did you kill Greg Faull?
I barely knew the man.
And why would I kill him?
He was a neighbor that lived
200 yards down the beach.
Do you really believe
that this is a vendetta
by the government of Belize
to take you down and kill you?
Absolutely, sir.
You're sincerely concerned
that if you somehow wind up
You're sincerely concerned
that if you somehow wind up
in their custody, they're going
to assassinate you?
Absolutely.
Do you really think
they would kill you?
Absolutely, I do, sir.
It was all about McAfee.
Everything that we've ever seen
was McAfee, McAfee, McAfee,
who murdered
an American businessman.
McAfee who did this,
McAfee who did that.
But there wasn't very much,
uh, publicity for my son.
McAfee found a way
to keep the attention on him.
We have a President,
a Prime Minister,
you have the Mayor of San Pedro,
the Minister of Tourism,
all giving interviews
about a man who's just
batshit crazy.
Well, I've never met the man.
Don't know what
he looks like.
Uh, I don't want
to be unkind,
but it strikes me
that he's extremely paranoid.
In fact, I would go so far
as to say bonkers.
By then, everybody know
who is John McAfee.
I couldn't hide him no more.
So we drove
to the southernmost border
with Guatemala.
It's 200 miles south
of Belize City.
He saw me bullshit my way
through many checkpoints
in the time we knew each other.
He knew I could get him out.
So how did you
get him out of the country?
Iwe just put him on a boat
and dump him on land
in Guatemala.
And dump him on land
in Guatemala.
We didn'tno customs,
no immigration, no nothing.
That's illegal.
I told him I could've gotten
his passport legally stamped
in a place called
Puerto Barrios.
But once he knew he was
getting out in a boat,
he took complete control.
He's John again.
He does what he wants to do.
All my advice to him never
really mattered anymore.
All my advice to him never
really mattered anymore.
He's John McAfee now.
The great escape.
I could walk into
the police station,
ask directions, and they would
give me directions.
VICE TV followed him
and they just decide to take
a picture with the iPhone.
They found out his location.
How did that happen?
With some picture
that VICE took with GPS
With some picture
that VICE took with GPS
where it was on
or something like that.
You know, you had VICE TV
posting that picture
that does give away
his location.
He was undone by that
in Guatemala.
You know, the tech guy.
Who would have thunk?
Now he's in trouble
with Guatemala
by entering the country
illegally.
That's when I told him,
you know,
"I have an uncle
who could help you.
I think he could be your lawyer
and take you out of
the country if you want."
McAfee, who is wanted
for questioning
McAfee, who is wanted
for questioning
in connection
with a murder in Belize,
says he will be seeking
asylum in Guatemala
and has retained highprofile
Guatemalan attorney
and former attorney general
Telsforo Guerra.
So when he was
in Guatemala,
was he still considered
a suspect, or was he
So you tried
to have him extradited?
Interpol discovered
John's exact location.
Interpol discovered
John's exact location.
And VICE was the only camera
crew to capture his arrest.
What's the problem?
They're trying to arrest me
for coming into the country
illegally.
Can't they take me back
to Belize tonight?
No, never. Never, never.
Are you sure?
Can you promise me, sir?
Because I'm not worried
about anything else.
Of course, they won't
take you to Belize, no.
Never, never.
I will go with you.
Whoa, whoa, wait.
"Thank God I'm in a place
where there is some sanity."
Those were the words John McAfee
said before being arrested
in Guatemala City
on Wednesday night
in Guatemala City
on Wednesday night
for illegal entry.
I was put in jail,
and the following morning,
they were intending
to deport me
back to Belize.
My lawyer came to my cell.
"He said, I cannot file
an appeal until three o'clock.
So until three,
they can deport you."
He said,
"Do you understand?"
I go, "Yes,
I understand fully."
I go, "Yes,
I understand fully."
Within sight
of the assembled cameras,
John McAfee suddenly swooned,
and appeared
to lose consciousness.
So I chose to fake
a heart attack.
John McAfee
was rushed to a hospital,
complaining of chest pains.
Quite a scene
was created,
as an ambulance took him
from an immigration
detention center.
They took me to
the hospital at three o'clock,
when I knew the appeal
had been filed.
I said, "I feel better.
I wanna go back to prison,
to my cell, thank you."
To my cell, thank you."
And that's what they did.
And an appeal meant
that it would be
15 years before they could
deport me back to Belize.
Well, it was not in Guatemala's
interest to keep me in prison
for that many years,
so I was deported
to the States,
which is what I wanted.
This afternoon, he boarded
a flight back to Florida.
Amid a media frenzy,
Guatemalan police
forced him aboard
a U. S.bound flight.
Software developer
John McAfee
has returned
to the United States.
The software pioneer
is still wanted
for questioning in the murder
of an American citizen
in Belize,
but he's free for now.
And at the moment,
he's still not charged
with any crime.
I cannot help but feel
that he enjoyed,
in his mind, playing the role
of kind of a puppet master.
He had a plan,
and he was orchestrating
that plan.
What's a better story?
What's a better story?
Millionaire mad man
on the run.
But you saved my.
Why?
'Cause you paid attention
to the story.
Because you acted
like a mad man?
I did, and it worked.
It's something
that I guess I have to learn
to realize that it's something
that I can't do anything about.
I can't rectify it.
I can't solve it.
I can't punish anybody.
I can't do anything except
regret the loss of my son.
Regret the loss of my son.
And, uh
I don't know what else
to say about it.
Mmhmm.
Is it DNA tested?
We do not have the level
of forensic expertise
to prosecute a crime like that.
Right.
That is a matter of fact.
We've barely begun
to touch fingerprinting,
that sort of thing.
And our murder/conviction rate
is below 3 %.
And our murder/conviction rate
is below 3 %.
Really?
No.
And who was
at John's house at the time?
Mmhmm.
Cash had not
been easy to find.
Because he didn't want
to be found.
Because he didn't want
to be found.
Finally, his friend
Eddie Halliday
urged him to talk to me.
You know?
He was asking
to put money
in people's bank accounts?
To put money
in people's bank accounts?
So, tell me about
what happened
with Greg Faull.
What guy's account?
I was with him the night
when his neighbor got shot.
He was with me in the room.
Like, four in the morning,
he was still there.
And what was he like?
You know, this, that.
Any time in that
period that Greg was killed,
did you ever see Eddie Mac,
or MAC10 at the house?
He wasn't there the night
dog was poisoned.
In morning he was there.
I saw that guy
this darkskinned guy.
MAC10 they call him, yeah.
I only saw him, like,
just I got a glimpse of him.
He was in the hall
talking to him.
He was in the hall
talking to him.
And I just came in,
got a juice,
and I went back in the room.
Did you ever
see him again?
No, I never saw him again.
To do what?
You know, to kill the guy.
Did the police
ever question you
about the murder
of Greg Faull?
Well, you know
You know?
I was trying to find
Eddie McKoy
to ask him about
these new allegations.
Eventually, he agreed
to meet me a second time.
Eventually, he agreed
to meet me a second time.
What new information
do you have for me?
Well,
I've looked into that.
Okay, all right.
Where were you
when Greg Faull was killed?
So can you tell me
the real story?
So around that time,
did John ask you
to do something
and give you any money?
Like $5,000?
Mmhmm.
No.
No?
No, never.
No?
No, never.
Why are you smiling?
No?
No.
So you didn't get $5,000
wired into your account?
So some people said
they saw you that night.
Andand you went
to John's house.
No.
Oh, no. Never.
Never?
Oh, no. Never.
Never?
Never.
Okay.
So you
were not hired by John
to kill Greg Faull?
No, no. Never.
And if you were,
would you tell me?
No, Iwell
Mmhmm.
All right
So I
I'm just trying to understand
why someone would say this.
Why someone would say this.
I cannot tell you.
Okay.
Did you have an alibi?
So...
Mmhmm.
I wanted to check out
Eddie's alibi.
But it felt
way too dangerous.
Going around George Street
and asking questions?
Not a good idea.
Not a good idea.
Upbeat pop music
I'm going underground
Gonna lose myself
in the crowd
Forget my troubles...
Now he's back
in the United States,
and so many people,
they would come up to me
and say, "Hey, did they ever
catch that guy?"
And it's all over now
Remember
that crazy time in Belize?
It was as if
it hadn't happened.
It was as if
it hadn't happened.
It looked like John
had lived the full fantasy
of an ugly American
living large
in a poor
Central American country.
He had apparently gotten away
with possible murder and rape,
buying the police,
buying young women,
indulging in bizarre,
degrading sex,
all seemingly
without consequence.
So I gotta keep the public
interested in me, right?
Yep.
Well, I can do it
by doing
any number of things.
Being a bad guy,
being a good guy,
being a fool,
being all three at once.
Uh, whatever it takes.
He goes from running away
He goes from running away
from something
to now running for.
And in this case,
he wanted to be
President of the United States.
Antivirus software
industry pioneer, John McAfee,
throwing his hat into
the 2016 presidential ring.
Have you actually filed yet, and
have you started to raise money?
I filed the papers on Tuesday.
Uh, I'm officially running,
yes, ma'am.
We all know he likes attention.
Okay, so,
at any point in time,
if he's not getting as much
media attention
as he would like,
then he'll absolutely
do something outrageous,
say something outrageous,
post something outrageous.
Say something outrageous,
post something outrageous.
Spy cameras are hidden
in cactuses.
The government
surreptitiously parses
our verbal communications.
And the concept of privacy
is fast approaching extinction.
Running for president
is pretty outrageous.
Mr. McAfee, as president,
what would you do about ISIS?
ISIS is a problem
of intelligence gathering
more than anything else.
I mean, we have the capacity
certainly
is anybody doing terrorist acts
inside of China?
Or inside of Russia?
No, it just doesn't happen.
Or inside of Russia?
No, it just doesn't happen.
They are so far ahead of us
from a cybersecurity standpoint,
meaning, intelligence gathering
in the modern age.
While John was
running for president,
the investigation into
Greg Faull's murder continued.
In early 2016,
the Belizean police force
asked the FBI for assistance.
This allowed FBI agents
to investigate
and potentially try the case
in the United States
if they were able to collect
enough evidence.
If they were able to collect
enough evidence.
Tonight, there is a report
that Amy Emshwiller,
one of McAfee's girlfriends
at the time,
has been detained
for questioning
in the murder of Faull.
She was picked up
by the police,
who have been working
with the FBI
to crack the homicide.
Hello?
Hi, Santiago.
It's Nanette.
I was just checking in
to see if there's been
I was just checking in
to see if there's been
any progress since you
interviewed Amy and
Eddie McKoy?
Yeah.
I couldn't believe
that John's girlfriend
I couldn't believe
that John's girlfriend
also fingered Eddie McKoy.
It echoed what Cash told me.
But without a DNA test
to match the fingernail,
there's not enough evidence
to make any arrests.
They would have to find Eddie
to see if his DNA matched.
A few days later,
Eddie emailed me.
He's leaving Belize.
For good.
So why are you leaving?
Someone shot at you
in your home?
Does it have anything
to do with John?
Or is it entirely separate
business?
Why do you think
he wants to hurt you?
What you told me is not
I mean, other
Oh, yeah, yeah.
You know
But not everything.
It's too complicated?
And, you know?
Are you leaving tomorrow?
Pensive music
pensive music
John was attending
a Libertarian debate
in New York.
We had been emailing,
texting,
talking on the phone all year.
But this would be
the first time
I was meeting him
facetoface.
He's doing very well
in the polls.
Okay.
He's one of
the top three candidates
in the Libertarian Party.
Yes.
So let's go in.
Okay.
You ready?
John, I wanted
to congratulate you.
John, I wanted
to congratulate you.
Onon what?
On your campaign.
Oh, our cam
You've done so well.
Thank you very much.
Are you feeling optimistic?
Oh, absolutely.
Yeah.
I don't see how I can lose.
I'm serious.
Mmhmm.
So, um, I mean,
based on the numbers
they just tell me by numbers
thatthat I have it.
Are you still in touch
with people from Belize?
Of course, yes,
I have many friends there.
Do you recognize me?
I do not.
You don't?
No.
I'm Nanette.
You are Nanette.
Yes.
Oh, okay.
Well, nice to meet you,
Nanette.
Nice to meet you.
And are these your people?
Nice to meet you.
And are these your people?
These are my people.
Okay, please turn
your cameras off.
Why?
I do not want to be
on your camera.
Can I have your
attention, please?
We're in a public event.
Can I have all
of the state officers,
the new ones, all of
the delegates from the counties,
step into the hallway out there
where we can have a meeting
where it's a little bit quiet.
Thank you very much.
Thank you.
Are you leaving, John?
Bye.
Less than one hour later,
John sent me
a flurry of emails.
John sent me
a flurry of emails.
Each one more hostile
than the last.
Ominous music
A few weeks later,
at the Libertarian Primary,
John came in second,
losing out to Gary Johnson.
John came in second,
losing out to Gary Johnson.
But he continues
to be considered
a major player
in the cybersecurity world.
We are told by the corporations
in power, and our government,
that if we have nothing to hide,
then why should we care?
He was named CEO
of MGT Capital Investments.
And after the announcement,
the stock rose over 700 %.
I have him on Google Alerts,
and every day
there are multiple stories
and every day
there are multiple stories
in the mainstream press
about John being
a cybersecurity expert.
He's legitimized himself again.
It's an amazing transition.
He is talking about
Internet security.
He's talking about iPhones.
You know, he's talking about
real privacy,
security issues of our times.
And he's doing it
with the authoritative,
"I'm John McAfee.
I'm not that John McAfee
who was chasing through
the jungle on the run."
This is the John McAfee,
now back to his namesake,
This is the John McAfee,
now back to his namesake,
online security, kind of, guru.
Even my friends, you know,
they think,
"Oh, he's that, you know,
he's that security genius.
You know, McAfee Software."
Theythey think he's a rebel,
like I did.
I mean, they think
he's eccentric.
They think,
"Oh, he's a cokehead."
You know?
"Ah, who cares?
As long as he's got
brilliant ideas."
That's what I thought.
And I see him regaining that
And I see him regaining that
you know, that reputation.
It's the same exact pattern.
He's trying
to reinvent himself.
He's getting young,
impressionable people involved.
And he's dangerous.
Instrumental piano music
Oh, well.
Oh, well.
No.