--- description: Anti-virus software maker John McAfee is running for President, he confirmed on Tuesday. title: Anti-Virus Software Maker John McAfee Is Running for President image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blta30b2e036004ea31/698862aacd1bbaee906fd128/john-mcafee.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Politics](/section/politics/) ## Politics Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [2016 Election](/tag/2016-election/) ## 2016 Election Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Anti-Virus Software Maker John McAfee Is Running for President  by [Jack Linshi](/author/jack-linshi/)  ## Jack Linshi Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Sep 9, 2015 1:07 AM CUT  Antivirus pioneer John McAfee poses for a photograph in Montreal on Aug. 24, 2013. Antivirus pioneer John McAfee poses for a photograph in Montreal on Aug. 24, 2013.Graham Hughes—AP  by [Jack Linshi](/author/jack-linshi/)  ## Jack Linshi Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Sep 9, 2015 1:07 AM CUT Anti-virus software tycoon John McAfee plans to run for President, the developer confirmed on Tuesday. He will run under his own newly created “Cyber Party.” McAfee, who teased the [official announcement](https://twitter.com/officialmcafee/status/641389355337162752 "undefined") on his Twitter, said he decided to run after encouragement from “almost everyone” he knew, [CNNMoney reports](http://money.cnn.com/2015/09/08/news/john-mcafee-for-president/index.html?sr=fbmoney090815mcafee730story "undefined"). The self-described “eccentric millionaire,” known for [a strange run-in with authorities in Belize](http://www.theverge.com/2012/12/12/3760192/john-mcafee-run-from-the-law "undefined") three years ago, said his primary motivation to enter the race was the government’s problems with security and surveillance. “We are losing privacy at an alarming rate — we have none left. We’ve given up so much for the illusion of security and our government is simply dysfunctional,” he said, adding that he plans to release an explainer for his new Cyber Party. “I have a huge underground following on the web,” he said. “I promise you I will win because I have the votes.” McAfee said he made his presidential bid official by filing the required documents with the Federal Elections Commission, though the agency could not confirm the software developer had filed necessary paperwork. \[[CNN](http://money.cnn.com/2015/09/08/news/john-mcafee-for-president/index.html?sr=fbmoney090815mcafee730story "undefined")\] ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4025991/john-mcafee-running-for-president/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4025991/john-mcafee-running-for-president/"},"headline":"Anti-Virus Software Maker John McAfee Is Running for President","datePublished":"2015-09-09T01:07:49.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T10:46:33.577Z","description":"His candidacy will focus on privacy rights","url":"https://time.com/4025991/john-mcafee-running-for-president/","keywords":["2016 Election","2016 Election topic"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blta30b2e036004ea31/698862aacd1bbaee906fd128/john-mcafee.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Jack Linshi","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/jack-linshi/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blta30b2e036004ea31/698862aacd1bbaee906fd128/john-mcafee.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"John McAfee","caption":"John McAfee","creditText":"Graham Hughes—AP","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/politics/","name":"Politics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/2016-election/","name":"2016 Election"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4025991/john-mcafee-running-for-president/","name":"Anti-Virus Software Maker John McAfee Is Running for President"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Person of the Year 2013 Shortlist: Edward Snowden","description":"TIME's Michael Scherer explains why NSA leaker Edward Snowden is on the short list for the 2013 TIME Person of the Year.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/cxBatp7g/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2013-12-11T12:42:24.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/cxBatp7g.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/4025991/john-mcafee-running-for-president/","duration":"PT2M26S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/4025991/john-mcafee-running-for-president/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```