British tech mogul Mike Lynch is reported to be missing after a superyacht capsized off the coast of Sicily in the early hours of the morning.
Lynch, the former boss of software firm Autonomy, is reported to have been on the superyacht named Bayesian.
The vessel capsized at around 5am off the coast of Palermo, the capital of the Italian island of Sicily.
According to the Italian fire and rescue services [Vigili del Fuoco] along with the Italian Coast Guard, during a rescue operation, 15 people were rescued from the wreckage.
However, the rescue service confirmed on social media that the body of a man was found this morning. It was reported by Italian media la Repubblica, the body was the vessel’s chief.
Infographic by PA Wire
The Coast Guard tweeted on X two hours ago that six people are still missing. It has been reported by Press Association that Lynch is one of the six people missing at sea.
According to Super Yacht Times, Bayesian is over 55m long and was launched in 2008 by Italian builders Perini Navi.
Commenting on the news of the capsize, Conservative MP Alicia Kearns tweeted: “Desperately sorry to hear of the capsizing of the Bayesian – a heartbreaking incident.
“My thoughts are with all the families of those lost at sea, and those recovering following the rescue operation, I’m sure the foreign office will be providing consular support to British Nationals and their families.”
A spokesperson for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office told City A.M.: “We are providing consular support to a number of British nationals and their families following an incident in Sicily, and are in contact with the local authorities”.
Screengrab from video posted by Vigili del Fuoco showing the rescue operation on a stretch of sea near Palermo, Sicily, in southern Italy. Photo credit should read: Vigili del Fuoco/PA Wire
Two months ago, Lynch was acquitted in the US of all 15 charges of fraud linked to the $11.1bn sale of the company to Hewlett-Packard (HP) in 2011.
This came after he was extradition from the UK to California to face a criminal trial, but a jury in San Francisco found him not guilty on all counts.
HP did win a six-year civil fraud suit against Lynch back in 2022 after the High Court ruled that he defrauded the firm by manipulating Autonomy’s accounts to inflate its valuation ahead of the takeover. Following this is when then-Home Secretary, Priti Patel approved his extradition.