Mike Lynch (businessman) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mike Lynch
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Lynch in 2014
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Michael Richard Lynch
16 June 1965 Ilford, London, England
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| Died | c. 19 August 2024 (aged 59) Mediterranean Sea, off Porticello, Santa Flavia, Sicily
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| Alma mater | University of Cambridge (MA, PhD) |
| Known for | Autonomy Corporation |
| Spouse(s) | Angela Bacares |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Software engineering |
| Thesis | Adaptive techniques in signal processing and connectionist models (1990) |
| Doctoral advisor | Peter J.W. Rayner |
Michael Richard Lynch (16 June 1965 – about 19 August 2024) was a British business leader in technology. He helped start a company called Autonomy Corporation and later founded Invoke Capital. He also helped create the cybersecurity company Darktrace. Cybersecurity is about protecting computer systems from theft or damage.
Lynch studied at the University of Cambridge. He used his knowledge of machine learning (where computers learn from data) to create software companies. He became a very important person in the technology area known as Silicon Fen in the UK. People sometimes called him the British version of the American businessman Bill Gates. In 2023, his wealth was estimated to be around £852 million.
In August 2024, Lynch passed away after his family's large yacht, Bayesian, sank near Sicily.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Michael Lynch was born in Ilford, London, on 16 June 1965. He grew up near Chelmsford in Essex. His mother was a nurse from Ireland, and his father was a firefighter, also from Ireland.
When he was 11, he won a scholarship to Bancroft's School in Woodford. Later, he helped the Bancroft's Foundation. This foundation helps bright students attend the school, no matter their family's income. After Bancroft's, he went to Christ's College, Cambridge, to study Natural Sciences.
After graduating, he earned a PhD in artificial neural networks. This is a type of machine learning that tries to copy how the human brain works. His research looked at how computers could learn and recognize patterns.
Career in Technology
Lynch started his first company in the late 1980s while he was still studying. This company, Lynett Systems Ltd, made audio products like music synthesizers.
In 1991, he founded Cambridge Neurodynamics. This company focused on using computers to recognize fingerprints. From this company, three others were created:
- Neurascript, which helped search business documents.
- NCorp, which searched databases.
- Autonomy, which searched many different types of information, like phone calls, emails, and videos.
In 1996, Lynch started Autonomy with David Tabizel and Richard Gaunt. Lynch was the CEO (Chief Executive Officer). Autonomy grew to be one of the top 100 public companies in the UK. It became a leader in the UK's technology hub, Silicon Fen. In October 2011, Autonomy was sold to Hewlett-Packard for over $11 billion. Lynch earned an estimated $800 million from this sale.
After selling Autonomy, Lynch started a company called Invoke Capital. This company invests in new businesses. One of the first companies Invoke Capital supported was Darktrace, a cybersecurity firm. Darktrace helps protect computer systems from online threats. Many people who worked at Autonomy later joined Darktrace. Lynch was on Darktrace's board until 2018 and an advisor until 2021.
Invoke Capital also invested in other technology companies. These include Featurespace, which helps detect and prevent fraud and financial crime. They also invested in Luminance, a company that uses technology for legal work, and Sophia Genetics, a medical data company in Switzerland.
As a top technology entrepreneur, Lynch held many important positions. He served on the boards of organizations like Cambridge Enterprise, the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew, the BBC, and the British Library.
Personal Life
Michael Lynch was married to Angela Bacares, and they had two daughters. In 2023, their wealth was estimated at £852 million. Lynch enjoyed playing jazz saxophone and helping to preserve rare breeds of animals. He kept a group of Red Poll cattle on his Loudham Hall estate in Pettistree, East Suffolk.
Death
Michael Lynch passed away on 19 August 2024, after his large yacht, Bayesian, sank near Sicily. There were 22 people on board. The yacht was anchored off Porticello when a powerful storm hit. Witnesses said a waterspout (a tornado over water) struck the yacht. Lynch's wife, Angela Bacares, was among the 15 people rescued. On 22 August, the bodies of Lynch and four others were found and identified. His teenage daughter Hannah remains missing.
Awards and Honours
Lynch received an OBE award in 2006 for his contributions to business. In 2008, he became a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering. In 2011, Computer Weekly magazine named him the most influential person in UK IT. In 2014, Lynch was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society. He was also made a Deputy Lieutenant for the County of Suffolk. He was a special fellow at Christ's College, Cambridge.
See also
In Spanish: Mike Lynch para niños
