Mr Lynch was confirmed to have died aged 59 after a luxury yacht, Bayesian, sank off the coast of Sicily. He was the creator of software giant Autonomy, which grew to become one of the most prominent tech firms on the planet. David Tabizel, Mr Lynch’s co-founder at Autonomy, said: “It looks like we’ve lost our dear Dr Mike Lynch.
RIP. The world has lost a genius. His family have lost a giant of a man.
” As well as Autonomy, Mr Lynch was on the board of several prominent institutions including the BBC and the British Library, and was a fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering. Tim Davie, BBC director-general, said: “Wise, generous and insightful, he played a particularly key role in accelerating our transformation as a digital organisation.” The academy paid tribute to its “mentor, donor and former council member” on Thursday.
In a statement, it said: “The trustee board, fellows and staff of the Royal Academy of Engineering are deeply saddened to learn of the death of Mike Lynch and send our profound condolences to his family.” Eleanor Lightbody, chief executive of AI legal firm Luminance which Mr Lynch set up, said: “Mike was a visionary unlike any other. “He had a unique ability to spot the next technological revolution and solve tomorrow’s challenges before others even knew they were coming.
“Beyond that, it was his connection to people that made him special. “He had a steadfast belief in the UK’s technology sector, in our incredible academi.