British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch found in yacht wreckage in Sicily | Wilnesh News

LONDON — The body of 59-year-old British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch has been recovered from the wreckage of a yacht that sank off the coast of Sicily, a person familiar with the matter told CNBC on Thursday, confirming Sky News ( Sky News) earlier report.

Lynch’s daughter Hannah remains missing, according to the source, who asked not to be named due to the sensitivity of the situation. Sky News earlier reported The Italian Coast Guard has recovered five bodies from the sunken ship, and Lynch is among the dead.

Lynch, who was reported missing on Monday, was one of 22 passengers aboard the Bayesian superyacht, which capsized when it anchored in the small fishing village of Porticello in the Italian province of Palermo.

On Wednesday, Salvatore Cocina, the head of Sicily’s civil protection agency, confirmed to NBC News that five bodies had been recovered from the wreckage. Earlier this week, Antigua, Canada chef Recaldo Thomas was confirmed dead.

Lynch is the founder of enterprise software company Autonomy. Lynch became the target of a protracted legal battle with HP after HP accused him of inflating Autonomy’s value in an $11.7 billion sale. HP took an $8.8 billion write-down on the company’s value within a year of acquiring it.

Lynch was unexpectedly acquitted of fraud charges in a U.S. court in June after a three-month trial. He faces wire fraud and conspiracy charges for allegedly conspiring to inflate Autonomy’s revenue. Lynch denied wrongdoing and told jurors that HP botched the Autonomy integration.

Lynch is also the founder of Invoke Capital, a venture capital firm that supports European technology startups. He became a key figure in supporting the UK technology industry and backed key players such as cybersecurity companies hidden traces and legal tech company Luminance.

CNBC has contacted the Italian Coast Guard and is awaiting a response.