John McAfee running for US president on pro-cryptocurrency platform
"Don't think that I have a chance of winning. I do not."
John McAfee gives a talk in this profile photo from his Facebook page.
Antivirus software pioneer. One-time fugitive. Cryptocurrency evangelist. And now US presidential candidate for 2020. John McAfee sure knows how to make a splash.
McAfee announced his candidacy on Sunday and tied it to his current role in promoting cryptocurrencies. "I believe this will best serve the crypto community by providing the ultimate campaign platform for us," he said.
In spite of past refusals, I have decided to again run for POTUS in 2020. If asked again by the Libertarian party, I will run with them. If not, I will create my own party. I believe this will best serve the crypto community by providing the ultimate campaign platform for us.
— John McAfee (@officialmcafee) June 3, 2018
This isn't McAfee's first presidential rodeo. He also ran during the 2016 election cycle as a Libertarian Party candidate, though he lost the party's nomination to former New Mexico governor Gary Johnson.
"If asked again by the Libertarian party, I will run with them. If not, I will create my own party," McAfee said in his tweet.
McAfee seems to have realistic expectations for his current presidential run, tweeting, "Don't think that I have a chance of winning. I do not. But what truly changes America is not the president, but the process of creating one."
Don't think that I have a chance of winning. I do not. But what truly changes America is not the president, but the process of creating one. If my following is sufficient I get to stand the world's largest stage and talk to the everyone, as I did last time, to tell the truth.
— John McAfee (@officialmcafee) June 4, 2018
McAfee's obsession with cryptocurrency may soon take another unusual turn. In late May, he announced a physical cryptocurrency called the "McAfee Redemption Unit" that will be printed on paper. He describes it as "linked to the blockchain, redeemable, convertible, collectible."
No hoax. The "McAfee Redemption Unit" is real and coming in 26 days. The graphic is low res - don't want to give much away yet. Printed on currency paper, holographs on both sides, serialized, linked to the blockchain, redeemable, convertible, collectiblehttps://t.co/ySUwkDuW7s pic.twitter.com/75xTje39X8
— John McAfee (@officialmcafee) May 29, 2018
McAfee's presidential bid may raise his profile and likely won't hurt his bottom line, either. He revealed in April he charges $105,000 per tweet to promote cryptocurrencies or initial coin offerings (ICOs).