Lynch’s widow, Angela Bacares, now bears responsibility for the damages, as Lynch’s estate is pursued for up to $4 billion, with Lynch himself having planned to appeal the previous court ruling.

A UK High Court judge has ordered Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) to pay over 700 million pounds (approximately $943 million) to the estate of the late Mike Lynch, the founder of Autonomy, in a long-running legal dispute.

This ruling follows a series of legal battles stemming from HP's 2011 acquisition of Autonomy for $11.1 billion, which later resulted in an $8.8 billion write-down and a $5 billion lawsuit against Lynch and his former finance director, Sushovan Hussain.

HPE expressed satisfaction with the recent ruling and expects further hearings in November to finalize the damages amount and address issues like interest and potential appeals.

The legal case, titled Autonomy Corporation Limited and others v Lynch and Hussain, has been ongoing in the High Court since 2022, with the court previously ruling in favor of HP and finding that Lynch’s company had misrepresented its financial position.

The court rejected claims for shares bought directly from Lynch and Hussain, concluding HP would have paid a lower price if the true financial state of Autonomy had been disclosed, resulting in a smaller damages claim of around £51 million against Lynch.

The court found that Lynch and Hussain engaged in deceit and misrepresentation, leading to HP being awarded around £51.7 million for damages and an additional £47.5 million for losses incurred by HP's group companies.

A subsequent hearing is scheduled for November to discuss interest, currency conversion, and whether Lynch’s estate will appeal the court’s decision.

Sushovan Hussain, Lynch’s former CFO, was convicted of wire fraud related to the Autonomy sale and served five years in prison, though he was released early and faced professional repercussions.

Mike Lynch died in a yacht sinking off Sicily in August 2024, along with his daughter and five others, while celebrating his acquittal on US fraud charges related to Autonomy.

Lynch, who maintained his innocence and blamed HP for mismanaging Autonomy, was previously acquitted of criminal charges in the US, but his estate is now facing substantial damages claims from HP.

Justice Hildyard criticized HP’s initial fraud claims as exaggerated, noting that the $8.8 billion write-down was based more on market capitalization than detailed analysis, and that HP would still have acquired Autonomy at a lower price even with full disclosure.