On Monday, a UK tech entrepreneur with a net worth of $1 billion, died alongside six other when his superyacht sunk. The entrepreneur, Mike Lynch, had recently been found not guilty of fraud, alongside his business partner Stephen Chamberlain who died two days before after being hit by a car.
The strange circumstances in which both men have died has sparked conspiracy theories online, and now Italian investigators have said they are look into manslaughter as a possible cause of Lynch’s death.
How Did Lynch die?
On Monday, Lynch was celebrating his acquittal with friends, family and colleagues on board the Bayesian, his super yacht.
The yacht, which was moored off the coast of Sicily, sank suddenly and quickly. 15 passengers were rescued, but Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter died together on board.
What About Lynch’s Business Partner?
Lynch had been found not guilty alongside his business partner, finance expert Stephen Chamberlain.
However, two days before the superyacht tragedy, Chamberlain was fatally struck by car while out jogging in England.
Italian Authorities Consider Theories
Now, Italian authorities investigating the seven deaths on board have said they are looking at the charges of “shipwreck and manslaughter” as an explanation for the tragedy.
However, they emphasized that the investigation is in its early stages and that they aren’t looking at any individual suspects.
Criminal Explanation is Probable
Ambrogio Cartosio, chief prosecutor of Termini Imerese, said it was “probable that offences were committed” regarding the sinking of the yacht.
He added, “For me, it is probable that offences were committed – that it could be a case of manslaughter – but we can only establish that if you give us the time to investigate.”
What Were Lynch and Chamberlain Accused Of?
In 2011, Lynch sold his company, Autonomy, to Hewlett-Packard (HP), in what would come to be known as one of the worst deals in history.
HP accused Lynch of artificially inflating the value of his business, and the charges of fraud and conspiracy levied against him could have resulted in over two decades in prison.
Acquittal Was A Surprise
In 2023, a British judge found Lynch liable for civil fraud and he was extradited to the US, where he was kept under house arrest.
Fewer than one in 200 federal criminal cases end in an acquittal – making Lynch and Chamberlain’s ‘not guilty’ verdict so surprising.
Experts Weigh In
While the exact facts surrounding the sinking remain unknown, experts agree that it’s highly unusual for a moored boat to sink like this.
“I’ve been speaking to a lot of [people in] the industry today and they are as shocked as me – and just in utter disbelief that this could happen,” Stewart Campbell, editor-in-chief of Boat International, said.
Lynch’s Final Comments
In an interview with British newspaper The Times, Lynch 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.”
In the interview, conducted less than a month before his death, Lynch made the following eerie comment: “It’s bizarre, but now [I] have a second life. The question is, what do [I] want to do with it?”
Possible Explanation
While the deaths of Lynch and Chamberlain two days apart are strange, they may really be a coincidence. The woman who hit Chamberlain with her car stayed at the scene and is fully co-operating with police.
Meanwhile, experts have noted that the Mediterranean recently reached it’s highest-ever recorded temperatures – increasing the risk of tornadic storms.
