McAfee, known for its computer antivirus software, is going private after a buyout from an investor group in a deal valued at more than $14 billion, a statement by the company said on Monday. 

The statement read that the company is to be acquired by an investor group led by Advent, Permira, Crosspoint Capital, CPP investments, GIC, and ADIA. 

The company was founded in 1987 by John McAfee, becoming a leader in security software. The founder left the company in 1994, and it was subsequently acquired for $7.68 billion by Intel. It was announced in 2014 that the company was to be rebranded as Intel Security.

In October 2020, the company was back on the public stock market, after selling McAfee Enterprise to Symphony Technology Group for $4 billion in July.

The current deal will be closed in the first half of 2022.

Murder and security fraud 

John McAfee, the company's founder, led a life of controversy after he left the company, leaving for Guatemala in 2012 after he was wanted by authorities in Belize for questioning following a neighbor's murder.

He was charged with security fraud in March over a cryptocurrency scheme after he persuaded Twitter followers to invest in cryptocurrency, then selling their holdings after the cryptocurrency's prices went up.

He was found dead in a Barcelona prison cell in June shortly after Spain approved his extradition to the US for tax fraud charges.