HP Wins $944 Million from Mike Lynch Estate, Ex-Business Partner in Autonomy Acquisition Case

HP is owed over $944 million by the estate of Mike Lynch and his former business partner Sushovan Hussain over the acquisition of Autonomy. Lynch, who died last year, was accused of inflating the value of Autonomy before it was acquired by HP for $11.1 billion in 2011. HP wrote down Autonomy's value by $8.8 billion within a year and sued Lynch and Hussain. Judge Robert Hildyard ruled HP sustained losses of over 646 million pounds and is entitled to another 51.7 million pounds in personal claims.

London's High Court has ruled that Hewlett Packard (HP) is owed $944 million by the estate of Mike Lynch and his former business partner Sushovan Hussain over the 2011 acquisition of Autonomy. The ruling, handed down by Judge Robert Hildyard on Tuesday, comes after HP sued Lynch and Hussain, accusing them of inflating the value of Autonomy to secure a $11.1 billion deal [1].

HP's legal battle began in 2015, with the company alleging that Lynch and Hussain masterminded a fraud to artificially inflate Autonomy's value. The acquisition unraveled quickly, with HP writing down Autonomy's value by $8.8 billion within a year. In 2022, a judge ruled in HP's favor, but the determination of damages was delayed until Tuesday's decision.

The ruling states that HP sustained losses of over $871.8 million due to the difference between what HP paid for Autonomy and what it would have paid if Autonomy's true financial position had been correctly presented. Additionally, HP is entitled to an additional $60.2 million in relation to personal claims for deceit and misrepresentation against Lynch and Hussain, and losses suffered by group companies [2].

Lynch, who died last year when his luxury yacht sank off the coast of Sicily, maintained his innocence and blamed HP for failing to integrate Autonomy into the company. He was acquitted of criminal charges in the U.S. but had intended to appeal the High Court's 2022 ruling. The appeal process was on hold pending Tuesday's decision on damages.

References:
[1] https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/hp-owed-over-940-million-093950193.html
[2] https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/uk-court-rule-how-much-hp-owed-by-late-mike-lynchs-estate-over-autonomy-deal-2025-07-21/