Who is ‘Britain’s Bill Gates’ Mike Lynch’s widow, Angela Bacares?

Sep 8 , 2024

Late British tech CEO Mike Lynch and his wife Angela Bacares. Photo: @PakistaniIndex/X

She lost her husband and 18-year-old daughter Hannah on a superyacht, and may still be liable to pay up to US$4 billion to Hewlett Packard

Mike Lynch’s widow Angela Bacares may still be liable to pay up to US$4 billion in damages to Hewlett Packard (HPE), even after her husband and daughter tragically died in a shocking Sicily yacht sinking last month, according to The Guardian.

Mike Lynch was embroiled in legal battles before his death. Photo: Bloomberg

HPE has said it will not be dropping the fraud claims that were made against Lynch, and plans to pursue damages of up to US$4 billion from his estate. Per The Guardian, the IT company won a civil lawsuit against Mike Lynch in 2022 after accusing him and his former finance director, Sushovan Hussain, of fraud related to the 2011 takeover of his software company, Autonomy.

“In 2022, an English High Court judge ruled that HPE had substantially succeeded in its civil fraud claims against Dr Lynch and Mr Hussain. A damages hearing was held in February 2024 and the judge’s decision regarding damages due to HPE will arrive in due course. It is HPE’s intention to follow the proceedings through to their conclusion,” HPE said in a statement. The damages hearing in February was held months before Lynch was acquitted in a separate US trial related to the case, per People.

The Associated Press notes that Lynch’s widow, Bacares, could now be liable for the charges. Bacares was among the 14 other passengers who were rescued from the superyacht after the sinking, which resulted in the death of her husband Lynch and their 18-year-old daughter, Hannah, per People. Five others lost their lives on the luxury boat that sank off the coast of Italy on August 19, including lawyer Christopher Morvillo, his wife Neda, Morgan Stanley International chairman Jonathan Bloomer and his wife, and the yacht’s chef, Recaldo Thomas.

Here’s what we know about Angela Bacares:

What is Angela Bacares’ background?

The late “Britain’s Bill Gates” Mike Lynch and his wife Angela Bacares. Photo: @PakistaniIndex/X

According to British media, Bacares, 57, was born in April 1967 and is the widow of Mike Lynch, the man hailed as “Britain’s Bill Gates”. Although they have remained largely under the radar, she has appeared by his side at numerous events over the years.

What does Angela Bacares do for work?

Angela Bacares and Mike Lynch were two of the wealthiest people in the UK. Photo: @AstuteGaba/X

As reported by The Standard in February, Bacares previously owned the largest stake in Darktrace, a cybersecurity company set up by her husband. According to Fortune, the couple owned about seven per cent of the organisation, but this figure dropped to about three per cent by mid-August. The outlet also reports that, despite the death of the UK tech entrepreneur, prior plans to sell the company to Thoma Bravo equity firm are expected to go ahead in late 2024.