bill gates yacht hydrogen

Inside world’s first ever $1 billion hydrogen superyacht – and it’s linked to Bill Gates

The world’s first hydrogen fuel-cell superyacht has been unveiled in Amsterdam. It has taken Feadship 5 years to deliver Project 821, reportedly commissioned by Bill Gates.

Project 821 features 12 guest staterooms, two staff cabins, accommodation for 44 crew members, a hospital, library, elevator, cinema, pool with a moveable glass bottom, multiple hot tubs, steam room, a gym, separate owners deck with two bedrooms, two bathrooms, two offices, and fourteen slide-out balconies.

What makes the Project 821 Feadship superyacht truly exceptional, however, is it is hydrogen-powered.

Jamie Edmiston, the CEO of yacht brokerage company Edmiston, represents the owner and is brokering the sale for a reported $1-billion. Edmiston says no expense was spared to build the groundbreaking vessel.

“The brief was to build the greenest and most environmentally advanced yacht ever built, without compromise,” says Edmiston. “It was a huge challenge, but one that the team has embraced and delivered on. The yacht we see today, designed by RWD and built by Feadship is without doubt the best yacht ever built. I am proud to have been involved since the inception of this idea.”

Neither Edmiston nor Feadship have revealed who commissioned the superyacht. eSysman Superyachts reported in April that it belongs to Bill Gates.

Jan-Bart Verkuyl, the CEO of Feadship Royal Van Lent shipyard, says pushing green superyacht technology as far as it could go was the mandate to develop of the vessel.

 “The aim has been to develop a new, clean technology not just for this project, but for the world,” Verkuyl says. Feadship has pledged to develop ‘net-zero’ yachts by 2030 and has an R&D team researching hydrogen and other fossil-fuel-free alternatives.

“The size of the proposed yacht – 100-metres-plus – made it a good candidate to explore pure green hydrogen as the fuel-cell source,” a Feadship statement reads.

“Even a yacht the size of  Project 821  cannot carry enough liquid hydrogen to power a crossing, but Feadship could impact a yacht’s carbon footprint where it is largest — generating electricity to serve the hotel load,” according to Feadship.

A yacht’s hotel load represents 70-78 per cent of a yacht’s annual total energy and heating and air conditioning make the largest demands, Feadship states. Air conditioning is a significant energy consumer on yachts, according to research from a maritime industry body .

“Supplying that electrical power via non-polluting hydrogen fuel cells has a swift and significant impact,” according to Feadship.

“Although there are hydrogen fuel cell-powered cars, and fuel cells have been used as the primary source of electrical power on human spaceflight for more than six decades, nothing existed in the maritime sector. There were no regulations for hydrogen storage and fuel-cell systems at class, flag-state or even the International Maritime Organisation level,” Feadship states.

Feadship, Edmiston and Lloyd’s Register developed new equipment, protocols and regulations for hydrogen to be used in the maritime industry. Feadship states that hydrogen fuel cells have water as their only exhaust, and are a combustion-free way to generate electricity.

“Project 821 features the most efficient waste heat recovery system yet developed, a system heating everything from the pool, Jacuzzi and steam room to the ambient air temperature and towel bars and floors in the guest bathrooms. Further savings in the hotel load will come from a Smart AC system linking sensors to an energy management system that automatically reduces air conditioning or heating in unoccupied guest spaces,” Feadship states.

When pure hydrogen is not available, electricity is generated by MTU generators combusting a biofuel said to reduce emissions by 90 per cent.

The work that has been done to deliver the no-expense-spared Project 821 superyacht is now being used for other vessels.

“The value of the research as well the development of class and flag safety regulations for an entirely new type of energy generation is an advancement we are proud to have made available to all,” says Verkuyl.

In 2025, two Norwegian ferries will operate using the system developed for Project 821.

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The World's First Hydrogen-Powered Superyacht Has a $644 Million Price Tag

Superyachts seemed to be among the last modes of (luxe) transportation to bend toward the growing consumer demand for eco-friendly engine designs. But if news from last week’s Monaco Yacht Show served as a bellwether, the industry meant to cater to the wealthiest among us made a progressive splash with the unveiling of Aqua, the world's first hydrogen-powered superyacht.

Designed by the Dutch firm Sinot Yacht & Architecture Design, Aqua is a nearly 400-foot-long vessel that's run entirely by a renewable energy source. "Water is the eternal fuel of life, the life-sustaining force that makes planet Earth habitable," says Sander Sinot, founder of the firm that bears his name. "Water is soft, yet at the same time it cuts through hard rocks." It was this appreciation of water that helped the firm find balance between the natural world and the technological. The propulsion system is made up of two 28-ton vacuumed tanks that each contain liquified hydrogen which are stored at -423 degrees Fahrenheit. Along with being eco-friendly, hydrogen-based energy means for a quieter experience aboard the ship in comparison to traditional engines. That said, there will be backup diesel generators handy should the captain ever need them.

The infinity pool aboard AQUA. 

There was much confusion on Monday if there was already a buyer who had paid the hefty $644 million price tag. Reports spread throughout the internet that billionaire Bill Gates had purchased the superyacht, rumors that proved to be false. Yet readers couldn't be blamed for believing such reports, as images show Aqua to include its own infinity pool, helipad, spa, and gym—amenities meant to attract billionaires such as Gates.

An aerial view of the superyacht shows how close passengers can get to the water, as well as the cascading design of the infinity pool.

Sinot and his team designed the vessel to safely bring passengers as close to the water as possible. "Water is relaxation; it makes us calmer and more creative," Sinot comments. "We wanted to provide those on board with the closest possible proximity to the water. The aft deck features an innovative series of platforms cascading down towards the sea, while a large swim platform allows all passengers to enjoy the optimal experience of accessing the water at sea level."

One of the bedrooms inside of Aqua shows a minimalist aesthetic. 

Aqua can reach speeds of up to 19.5 mph and features enough room for 14 guests and 31 crew members. The firm plans to complete the vessel by 2024.

5 years in the making, eco-warrior Bill Gates’ hydrogen fuel-cell-powered megayacht is finally ready. A first of its kind in the world, the 373 feet long vessel has stealth balconies that pop out with the press of a button, multiple libraries, fireplaces, a private elevator, and a hospital

Bill Gates’ megayacht is equal parts clean and smart –

The stunning five-decker is a win-win vessel for an eco-conscious billionaire . From being innately clean, it even flaunts an efficient waste heat recovery system. It heats everything from the pool, Jacuzzi, and steam room to the ambient air temperature and towel bars and floors in the guest bathrooms. A Smart AC system includes sensors that automatically reduce air conditioning or heating in unoccupied guest spaces. Talk about a smart superyacht, and it could have only come from the genius of a tech tycoon! Back in 2020, rumor mills went abuzz with reports that Bill Gates pledged well over $600 million to build a 376-foot-long, hydrogen-powered superyacht concept. Guess there is no smoke without fire, and the result is now out of dry dock for all to see.

[All images of the Feadship Project 821 provided by Feadship]

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Billionaire Bill Gates buys hydrogen-fuelled superyacht for $500 million

Microsoft billionaire Bill Gates is currently celebrating the engagement of his daughter, Jennifer, to Egyptian showjumper Nayel Nassar, but he's also got another reason to be happy - a brand new superyacht.

The 112-metre luxury vessel is the world's first hydrogen-powered super yacht, and will feature all the usual billionaire mod-cons, including an infinity pool, helipad, spa and gym. There are five decks, with accommodation for 14 guests and 31 crew members - more than two per person.

As well as being powered by liquid hydrogen, another eco-feature are the fire pits, which are actually gel-fuelled fire bowls, designed to keep guests warm outdoors without burning wood or coal.

Costing in the region of $500 million, the Aqua ship was first publicised at the Monaco Yacht Show in 2019 by Dutch design firm Sinot. Speaking then, the company's eponymous designer said, 'For the development of Aqua we took inspiration from the lifestyle of a discerning, forward-looking owner, the fluid versatility of water and cutting-edge technology, to combine this in a superyacht with truly innovative features.'

He went on to explain how the hydrogen fuel works, saying: 'AQUA is fuelled by hydrogen, a unique concept which represents a significant progression towards achieving a new balance between nature and technology. The system is based on the use of liquified hydrogen, stored at -253°C in two 28-ton vacuum isolated tanks. The liquified hydrogen is converted into electrical energy by proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells, with water being the only by-product.'

The Daily Telegraph reports that the ship will be in service from 2024, and will reach speeds of 17 knots. It will be able to travel for 3,750 miles before refuelling but will also have a diesel back-up due to the lack of hydrogen refuelling stations available.

This will be the world's second richest man's first yacht. He has previously rented them for holidays, most recently including the $330m yacht Serene, which he borrowed from Stolichnaya vodka magnate, Yuri Scheffler, to sail around the coast of Sardinia.

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Bill Gates Yacht: Everything You Want To Know

In 2020 the yachting world was abuzz with news that Bill Gates had bought as stunning and advanced yacht known as Project Aqua. The massive, 370-foot concept yacht was revealed in 2019 at the Monaco Yacht Show and news soon followed that billionaire Bill Gates, once the richest man in the world and the founder of Microsoft, had commissioned the construction of his own hydrogen-powered Aqua. But that never actually happened and, in fact, as near as anyone can tell for real, Bill Gates doesn’t own a yacht at all. 

So where did the story come from? What’s the deal with the Aqua? And hasn’t Bill Gates been pictured on a yacht before? Let’s get some answers.

How Much Did the Aqua Yacht Cost at the Monaco Yacht Show?

According to the stories online, Bill Gates paid $600 million for the hydrogen powered yacht. But that’s not true at all. According to the yacht makers, the Dutch company Sinot, the price tag is $645 million but no one bought it after it was revealed at the Monaco Yacht Show, and that includes Bill Gates. It’s expensive but definitely not the most expensive in the world.

How Fast is the Aqua Yacht?

Aqua is a unique yacht in the yachting world which is why it garnered so much attention in the first place. It’s the first mega yacht that runs on a fully operational liquid hydrogen and fuel cell system that features two hydrogen engines that can produce 1,341 horsepower. The top speed is 17 knots and  the Aqua has a cruising speed of 12 knots. The total range is 3,750 nautical miles. The liquid hydrogen is stored in two 28-ton vacuum sealed tanks where it can be held at -253 degrees C. The only exhaust is water.

What Does the Interior of  the Aqua Yacht Look Like?

The Aqua has 7 suites meant to house up to 14 guests at any given time. Two of those suites are larger VIP cabins. The ceilings throughout are 9 feet and stretch as high as 12.5 feet elsewhere thanks to the luxury Sinot yacht architecture. The vessel has room for a crew of 31 as well. The beach deck lounge aboard the boat alone looks like a luxury hotel space.

The Aqua features a bow observation room which is surrounded by windows to give a panoramic view of the ocean which has been described as the “ultimate superyacht owners lounge.” In addition, there’s a movie theater on the upper deck. It also includes a wellness center with a hydro massage room. You can also do some yoga in a workout space. There’s a fully equipped gym, a beauty salon, and even a hairdresser.

Up on the main deck there’s a luxury swimming pool that even includes a waterfall. One of the yacht’s defining features is the spiral staircase that covers all five decks and is covered by a skylight. On the way up it also offers a view of the interior of the hydrogen fuel tanks so you can see just what 56 tons of ultra cold liquid hydrogen looks like as you move between decks. 

The tender garage has an array of toys such as jet skis while the main deck features a beach club with a dining area designed for all 14 guests and a lounge that converts into the cinema space.

What Yacht Has Bill Gates Actually Been On?

Bill Gates does seem to like yachts, just not enough to spend his money owning one, and that’s fair. Yachts cost millions to maintain every year. No one got rich spending millions to maintain a boat.

That said, Bill Gates has not only vacationed on yachts – he spent his 66th birthday on one – he also got married on a yacht.

In 2021, Gates made the news when he celebrated his 66th on board a luxury yacht called the Lana alongside Jeff Bezos. He spent $2 million to charter the yacht for a week and flew 50 guests out to celebrate with him. 

The Lana is a 351 foot yacht with room for 12 guests and a cruising speed of 12 knots with a max speed of 18 knots. The master suite is 1,184 square feet. The room features his and hers walk-in dressing rooms and a private terrace.

Elsewhere on board you’ll find a piano in the lounge area as well as a full gym for working out. There’s both a sauna and a well-appointed spa as well. On deck you can head to the beach club or take a dip in the pool. 

There are three tenders in the garage alongside a bunch of toys including various jetskis, a seabob, wakeboards, WindSurfers, fishing equipment, scuba diving equipment and more. 

Back in 2014, Gates rented an even more expensive yacht, the $5 million per week Serene, to go on a vacation with his family. The Serene, once owned by  Russian vodka magnate Yuri Shelfer before being purchased by the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, clocked in at a massive 450 feet making it one of the world’s biggest and even had its own on board submarine

The Serene features 7 decks, a saltwater pool, a climbing wall, a surprisingly large library, health spa, outdoor cinema and a nightclub. This is all spread across 48,000 square feet.

It’s also been confirmed that Gates met his wife Melinda on a yacht owned by Paul Allen, the co-founder of Microsoft, all the way back in 1994. 

Why Do People Think Bill Gates Owns the Aqua?

It’s easy to see why people may have thought Gates owned the Aqua when you consider a handful of factors. First, as mentioned, we have lots of evidence that Bill Gates really does enjoy luxury yachts. The extremely high price tag was something that only a few people in the world are going to be able to afford and Gates, who doesn’t own a yacht, seems like a likely candidate for those reasons. 

In addition, Gates has spent several years now as a climate activist and has supported a number of green technologies. A yacht that runs on hydrogen seems like something he would support as well. So, with no real evidence, the circumstantial evidence was enough to easily convince people. Once it’s presented as fact on the internet, and it was in many articles and videos, few people had reason to question it. 

The Bottom Line

The mega yacht known as the Aqua has a price tag of $645 million and it runs on clan burning hydrogen fuel. The only byproduct of its operation is water, making it a very environmentally friendly yacht. It made waves, so to speak, when it debuted at the Monaco Yacht Show in 2019. Rumors soon began to spread that billionaire and known climate activist Bill Gates had ordered one for $600 million. However, despite many videos and articles that refer to him as the owner, the truth is no one bought the Aqua at the yacht show and, as of 2023, Bill Gates does not own a yacht at all. He is know to charter extremely luxurious yachts for vacations and parties, such as the Lana and the Serene, but he does not own any just now.

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Bill Gates bought super yacht Aqua

Bill Gates just purchased a $650 million environmental-friendly super yacht Aqua

Bill Gates , the second wealthiest man of the world after Jeff Bezos , has apparently bought the most fashionable super yacht which is totally driven by liquid hydrogen. Gates frequently shares his fortune accompanying ecosystem responsive enterprise in addition to establishments occupied for better world health.

Jeff Bezos, the 4th richest person in the world, has also a new boat under cosntruction. You can find news about it here:  Jeff Bezos is constructing a 127-meter sailing yacht at Oceanco

Bill Gates, who is the founder of Microsoft , is a routine superyacht traveler but has not formerly purchased his own yacht and has chosen to charter during summer voyages around the Mediterranean.

He is now participating seriously in a totally environmental friendly superyacht in the faiths that many other entrepreneurs track his indication.

This fresh yacht was firstly seen at the Monaco Yacht Show. The yacht was built by a Dutch firm Sinot Yacht Design .

Dutch design company Sinot is occupied in a boat which completely run by hydrogen, in the sense that its single emission will be water. It is expected to work at a maximum speed of 17 knots, with maximum range of 3,750 nautical miles. 

The construction period of the yacht Aqua will be under supervision of Lateral Naval Architects. The length of the yacht Aqua is 112 meters and be motorized by liquid hydrogen delivering electrical energy to the fuel cells.

"For improvement of Aqua we grabbed creativeness from the life of a selective, open-minded owner, the liquid adaptability of water and front-line expertise, to joint this in a 112-meter superyacht with really pioneering characters," creator Sander Sinot reported.

"Our task was to apply entirely effective fluid hydrogen and power units in a real mega yacht that is not only revolutionary in expertise but also in project and overlooking," the prime designer, Sander Sinot, told in a media announcement.

The huge yacht Aqua combined with five decks and is able to accommodate up to 14 guests and 31 crew. The project has been stimulated by the ocean and Aqua’s curved outside shapes flow from the stern thru a 360-degree watching shell.

Aqua has 4 guest cabins, 2 VIP cabins and 1 owner suite. In order carry 31 crew, the yacht moreover has 14 double personnel rooms, 2 officer cabins and 1 captain's quarter. 

Moreover, round stairway is one of the yacht’s major characters, curving down from the highest deck to the lower deck. The key architectural attraction of the staircase is at its lowest flat where two enormous watery hydrogen containers can be perceived in their hexagonal rough exterior. 

Aqua also has an interior health and wellness facility including a gym, a jacuzzi room, and a yoga studio. 

On top of being innovative, the boat is also very comfortable, with an infinity pool, heliport, spa, and indoor pool. The design of the yacht took over 6 months to realize and display a high-tech project. However, notwithstanding that the gossips of a Gates’ property, the Aqua is still just a model. The yacht is unlikely to be on the sea before 2024.

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Yacht maker denies Bill Gates has purchased world's first hydrogen-powered superyacht

The billionaire had reportedly comissioned the 112-metre eco-friendly vessel with a beach deck, yoga room, cinema, observatory and infinity pool.

February 10, 2020

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Family clings to hope of air pocket in sunken superyacht as debris hampers search

PORTICELLO, Sicily — Divers searching for six missing people from a superyacht which sank off the coast of Sicily told NBC News Wednesday that debris inside the vessel, as well as its depth, were making their job difficult.  

As hopes of finding anyone alive dwindled, the divers said that they had managed to force open one of the Bayesian’s access doors but access to the cabins where people could be trapped was being hampered by detritus. 

The divers, who were not authorized to speak publicly, added that the depth of the wreck meant they were left with only 10 minutes to search the 184-foot yacht once they reached it. Then they had to return to the surface, they said. 

On Wednesday, the dock where they set off from was swarming with vehicles, boats and rescuers. Nearby tourists, reporters and photographers have gathered, eager for news. Helicopters occasionally fly over the area.  

British tech tycoon Mike Lynch and five of the 22 other people who were aboard the yacht remain unaccounted for and are believed to be trapped in the Bayesian’s hull, nearly 170 feet underwater.

Lynch's 18-year-old daughter, Hannah; Morgan Stanley International Chairman Jonathan Bloomer and his wife, Judy; and Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo and his wife, Neda, are also missing. 

Officials confirmed Monday that at least one person, the ship’s cook, had died. 

Rescuers said Tuesday that there might be people trapped inside the cabins, especially considering the timing of the storm, but that they had so far been unable to check through the ship’s portholes.

“The operations are long and complex,” Italy’s national fire department, whose diving teams have been participating in the search, said on X . 

Italy's coast guard also said Tuesday that divers were also using a remotely-operated underwater vehicle to aid in the search.

The Bayesian is owned by a firm linked to Lynch’s wife, Angela Bacares, who was one of the 15 people rescued Monday after it capsized near Sicily’s main city of Palermo in what Italian officials called a “violent storm.” 

Built by Italian shipbuilder Perini Navi in 2008, the U.K.-registered Bayesian could carry 12 guests and a crew of up to 10, according to online specialist yacht sites. Its nearly 250-foot mast is the tallest aluminum sailing mast in the world, according to CharterWorld Luxury Yacht Charters.  

Lynch, who was regularly described in U.K. media as “Britain’s Bill Gates,” was acquitted by a San Francisco jury of fraud charges stemming from the 2011 sale of his software company Autonomy to Hewlett-Packard for $11 billion.

Prosecutors alleged that Lynch and Autonomy’s vice president for finance, Stephen Chamberlain, had padded the firm’s finances ahead of the sale. Lynch’s lawyers argued that HP was so eager to acquire Autonomy that it failed to adequately check the books .

The Mediterranean sailing vacation was designed to be a celebration for Lynch, who brought Morvillo, one of his U.S. lawyers and Bloomer, who testified in his defense, on the trip.

Bloomer’s twin brother, Jeremy, told the BBC on Tuesday the family was “coping the best we can” and he was hopeful there might still be air pockets inside the hull. 

Chamberlain was not aboard the Bayesian.

In what appears to be a tragic coincidence, a car struck and killed Chamberlain on Saturday as he was jogging in a village about 68 miles north of London, local police said.

Claudio Lavanga and Claudia Rizzo reported from Porticello and Yuliya Talmazan from London. 

Claudio Lavanga is Rome-based foreign correspondent for NBC News.

Yuliya Talmazan is a reporter for NBC News Digital, based in London.

To revisit this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories .

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Mike Lynch, ‘Britain’s Bill Gates,’ Confirmed Dead in Superyacht Wreck

British software mogul Mike Lynch , 59, has died after a superyacht he was onboard sank off the coast of Sicily, where he was celebrating being acquitted of fraud by a jury in the US weeks earlier.

Lynch, his teenage daughter Hannah, and four other passengers—including Morgan Stanley international chair Jonathan Bloomer (formerly of Lynch’s company Autonomy) and Lynch’s lawyer Chris Morvillo, a partner at Clifford Chance—were reported missing when the yacht sank. After a three-day search, the Italian coastguard has reportedly confirmed that Lynch had died in the wreck. Lynch’s daughter is still unaccounted for, but the bodies of the other passengers have now reportedly been identified.

Lynch is survived by one daughter and his wife, Angela Bacares, who was among the 15 people aboard the Bayesian who were rescued by emergency services.

The entrepreneur was initially reported missing after the Bayesian —a 180-foot luxury craft reportedly registered to a company owned by his wife—was buffeted by a violent windstorm in the early hours. The storm, a type of marine tornado known as a waterspout, is reported to have toppled the yacht’s mast , capsizing the boat and causing it to sink.

The yacht’s name is thought to be a tribute to Reverend Thomas Bayes, a man who in the 1700s set out to prove the existence of God through mathematics. Bayes’ work helped Lynch build his fortune: His theorem was the basis of Autonomy’s ability to analyze big data sets. Autonomy, a software firm Lynch cofounded in 1996, would become one of the UK’s most successful technology exports during a period otherwise dominated by Silicon Valley. In an interview with WIRED in 2015 , Lynch said that Bayes “would probably turn out to be to the information age what Einstein was to physics.”

Lynch was born in Ireland in 1965 but was raised in the English county of Essex. He studied natural sciences at the University of Cambridge, where he later obtained a doctorate in mathematical computing and became a research fellow.

Autonomy was far from the only company Lynch had a hand in starting. In the 1980s, he established Lynett Systems, which provided audio products to the music industry. In 1991, he started Cambridge Neurodynamics, a company that specialized in fingerprint recognition. In 2012, he founded Invoke Capital, a vehicle for investing in British technology companies which later provided seed funding to the now publicly listed cybersecurity business Darktrace .

In 2006, Lynch was awarded an OBE in recognition of his contribution to British enterprise, and in 2011 he became an adviser to the UK government on matters concerning science and technology.

The public perception of Lynch would come to be defined, though, by the $11.7 billion sale of Autonomy to Hewlett Packard in 2011—a deal that turned sour soon after completion and over which he was subsequently accused of fraud.

Within a year, HP had written down the value of the purchase by $8.8 billion , alleging it had uncovered “serious accounting improprieties” and “outright misrepresentations.” In 2019, the US Department of Justice brought 17 counts against Lynch on the basis of those claims. The superseding indictment listed a variety of charges, including wire fraud and conspiracy.

US prosecutors alleged that Lynch had embarked on an elaborate, multiyear scheme in which he backdated and fabricated sales and lied about the condition of Autonomy’s finances in public filings. The effect, they claimed, was to deceive HP into purchasing Autonomy for a puffed-up price. Prosecutors argued that Lynch himself walked away from the deal with at least $640 million in cash.

After a protracted legal fight over extradition, Lynch eventually faced criminal trial in the US in early 2024. He always denied the charges against him, but the odds of an acquittal didn’t look good; in 2018, Autonomy CFO Sushovan Hussain was convicted on similar charges, and in 2022, Lynch lost a civil trial in the UK High Court that culminated in a ruling that Autonomy executives had fraudulently boosted the firm’s reported revenue, earnings, and value.

But after a meandering, 12-week trial in federal court in San Francisco, Lynch was cleared of all charges by a jury, escaping the prospect of more than 20 years in prison . In a statement issued after the trial, Lynch described himself as “elated” and said he was “looking forward to returning to the UK and getting back what I love most: my family and innovating in my field.”

In a separate incident, Lynch’s co-defendant, Stephen Chamberlain, Autonomy’s former vice president of finance, has also died , after being hit by a car in Cambridgeshire, UK, over the weekend.

In an interview with The Times —his first after the verdict was announced—Lynch spoke about the strangeness of having been granted “a second life”: “The question is, what do you want to do with it?”

In a statement, former Autonomy COO Andrew Kanter tells WIRED that Lynch "was the most brilliant mind and caring person I have ever known.” He adds, “There is simply no other UK technology entrepreneur of our generation who has had such an impact on so many people. His passion for life, knowledge, and all those around him was instantly inspiring to everyone he met, and he will be sorely missed.”

In a tribute to Lynch provided to WIRED, David Tabizel, cofounder of Autonomy, described his late partner as a “remarkable individual” and “the rarest of entrepreneurs.”

“The man was a legend, a genius, a gift to world business and above all, a mensch,” says Tabizel. “Britain’s Bill Gates? Not really. Britain’s Steve Jobs.”

Updated 8-22-2024 12:30 pm BST: This story was updated with a tribute to Lynch from David Tabizel.

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‘British Bill Gates’ Mike Lynch Missing After Luxury Yacht Sinks in Storm

A luxurious yacht sank off the coast of Sicily , Italy , leaving Mike Lynch , also known as “the British Bill Gates,” and his daughter Hannah among the missing .

According to the BBC, a 56-meter luxury yacht carrying 12 passengers and 10 crew members from the U.S., U.K., Canada, Sri Lanka, and Ireland sank around 5 a.m. after being caught in a storm. The disaster resulted in one death and six people missing, including Lynch and his daughter.

The yacht had been anchored when its mast suddenly broke, causing it to tilt and sink rapidly. The rescue team managed to save 15 people from the water.

Among the survivors are Lynch’s wife, Angela Bacares, a one-year-old baby, and a lawyer from Lynch’s legal team.

Divers recovered one body from the sunken yacht at a depth of 49 meters, but details remain unclear aside from the fact that the deceased is male.

Lynch was born into a working-class family on the outskirts of London. In 1996, he founded the software company Autonomy, which he grew into a major public enterprise. This success earned him the nickname “the British Bill Gates.” He was awarded the Order of the British Empire for contributing to the British business community. He was also elected to the Royal Academy of Engineering in 2008 and the Royal Society in 2014.

In 2011, Lynch served as a scientific advisor to then-Prime Minister David Cameron, guiding the risks and potential of artificial intelligence. That same year, he sold Autonomy to Hewlett-Packard for $11 billion. However, in 2018, U.S. federal prosecutors charged Lynch with financial fraud, accusing him of inflating Autonomy’s performance during the sale. After spending about a year under house arrest while awaiting trial, he was acquitted in June of this year.

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Reports indicate that the yacht trip was a party to celebrate Lynch’s acquittal, attended by law firm members and representatives from Lynch’s Invoke Capital.

After his acquittal in June, Lynch expressed his joy over the verdict, stating, “I am looking forward to returning to the UK and getting back to what I love most: my family and innovating in my field.”

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Who is Mike Lynch? The UK tech tycoon killed after his family superyacht sank in storm

The british magnate founded software giant autonomy in 1996, and made his name as one of britain’s most influential entrepreneurs..

British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch has been confirmed as one of those of who died on board the luxury Bayesian yacht after it sank off the coast of Sicily in a fierce storm.

The 56m-long vessel with 22 people on board went underwater near the Italian city of Palermo after being hit by a heavy storm in the early hours of Monday morning.

Lynch, 59, and his 18-year-old daughter, Hannah, were among six people left missing in the aftermath, sparking a search from divers within the wreckage at a depth of 50m off the village of Porticello.

Once described as "Britain's Bill Gates", Lynch was recently acquitted of fraud and conspiracy charges in a US court over the sale of his company Autonomy to Hewlett Packard.

He built the UK's largest software firm, Autonomy, which was sold to HP in a multi-billion deal in 2011. But the deal spectacularly unravelled with the U.S. tech giant accusing him of fraud, resulting in a lengthy trial.

He was acquitted on all charges by a jury in San Francisco in June.

Lynch leaves behind his wife, Angela Bacares, 57. The couple had two daughters - one of whom was Hannah - and lived at Loudham Hall estate in Pettistree, Suffolk.

Lynch's wife was rescued from the yacht. She said in the aftermath of the incident that she and her husband were awoken at 4am on Monday after the boat made a "slight tilt".

This year's Sunday Times Rich List valued Lynch and Bacares at £500m.

His influence

Lynch was awarded an OBE in 2006 for services to enterprise and in 2011, the year of the Autonomy sale to Hewlett-Packard, he was named as the most influential person in UK IT by Computer Weekly magazine.

Lynch served on the board of the BBC as a non-executive director.

The same year as the sale, he was appointed to the government's council for science and technology, advising then prime minister David Cameron on artificial intelligence.

His early life

Lynch was born in Ilford, Essex, in June 1965, to Irish parents and grew up in Chelmsford.

His mother was a nurse from Co Tipperary and his father a firefighter from Co Cork.

Lynch won a scholarship to the prestigious Bancroft's School, in Woodford, east London, and went on to study Natural Sciences at Christ's College, Cambridge.

Lynch developed an interest in artificial intelligence, going on to study for a PhD in neural networks (a form of machine learning) and later taking on a research fellowship in adaptive pattern recognition.

Early career and Autonomy

Lynch established his first company, Lynett Systems, in the late 1980s while still studying for his PhD.

It was financed with a £2,000 loan negotiated in a bar and made audio products for the music industry such as synthesisers and samplers.

He founded Cambridge Neurodynamics in 1991, which focused on fingerprint recognition, then set up business software company Autonomy in 1996.

Autonomy sale to Hewlett-Packard

Autonomy was bought by tech giant Hewlett-Packard (HP) in October 2011 for $11.7bn (£8.6bn), but within a year, HP had written off $8.8bn of Autonomy's value.

HP claimed this was as a result of "serious accounting improprieties" and "outright misrepresentations" from the previous management.

Lynch left his role as Autonomy chief executive in May 2012. After the sale, he founded venture capital firm Invoke Capital.

Fraud trial

In June this year, Lynch was acquitted of fraud and conspiracy charges he faced in the US over the sale of Autonomy.

A court in San Francisco found him not guilty on all counts, after he was accused of inflating the value of the company before its sale.

Lynch was extradited to the US last year and faced more than 20 years in an American prison had he been convicted.

He spent 13 months under house arrest ahead of the 11-week trial, in which he took the stand, denying any wrongdoing and blaming HP for botching the integration of the two companies.

In July, he told The Times newspaper in his first interview after being cleared that he thought he would die in jail.

“I’d had to say goodbye to everything and everyone, because I didn’t know if I’d ever be coming back," he said. “I have various medical things that would have made it difficult to survive.”

He reportedly told the paper that, if convicted, he was unlikely to live to see freedom because of his age and serious lung condition.

At the beginning of this month, Lynch told BBC Radio 4's PM programme that he was only able to clear his name because of his wealth.

"You shouldn't need to have funds to protect yourself as a British citizen," he said.

"The reason I'm sitting here, let's be honest, is not only because I was innocent... but because I had enough money not to be swept away by a process that's set up to sweep you away."

The death of his co-defendant

In a bizarre coincidence, Lynch's co-defendant in his US fraud trial, Stephen Chamberlain, 52, died after he was hit by a car on the Saturday before the Bayesian sank.

Chamberlain, the former vice-president of Autonomy, was struck by the vehicle while out running in Stretham, Cambridgeshire on Saturday morning.

In a tribute, Chamberlain's family said he was a “much-loved husband, father, son, brother and friend”.

They said in a statement: “He was an amazing individual whose only goal in life was to help others in any way possible.

“He made a lasting impression on everyone who had the privilege of knowing him. He will be deeply missed but forever in the hearts of his loved ones.”

Cambridgeshire Police said Chamberlain was hit by a blue Vauxhall Corsa car on the A1123 Newmarket Road at about 10.10am on Saturday.

The driver of the car, a 49-year-old woman, remained at the scene and is assisting with police inquiries.

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