Kim Dotcom

Kim Dotcom
Dotcom in 2014
Born
Kim Schmitz

(1974-01-21) 21 January 1974 (age 50)[1]
Kiel, West Germany
Nationality
  • Germany
  • Finland
Other namesKimble, Kim Tim Jim Vestor
CitizenshipNew Zealand
EducationMiddle school
OccupationEntrepreneur
Years active2005–present
Known forFounder and CEO of Megaupload, Mega and K.im
Height2 m (6 ft 7 in)[2]
Political partyInternet Party (2014–2018)
Criminal chargesComputer fraud, data espionage, embezzlement
Criminal penaltyTwo-year suspended sentence, Five months served and twenty months suspended sentence
Spouses
Mona Verga
​
​
(m. 2009; div. 2014)​
Elizabeth Donnelly
​
​
(m. 2018)​
Children6
Websitekim.com

Kim Dotcom (né Schmitz;[3] born 21 January 1974), also known as Kimble[4] and Kim Tim Jim Vestor,[5] is a German-Finnish Internet entrepreneur and political activist who lives in Glenorchy, New Zealand.[6]

He rose to fame in Germany in the 1990s as a hacker and an Internet entrepreneur.[7] He was arrested in 1994 for trafficking in stolen phone calling card numbers. He was convicted on eleven charges of computer fraud, ten charges of data espionage and various other charges in 1998 for which he served a two-year suspended sentence.[7] In 2003, he was deported from Thailand to Germany, where he pleaded guilty to embezzlement in November 2003 and after five months in jail awaiting trial he received another 20 months suspended sentence.[8]

Dotcom is the founder and former CEO of the defunct file-hosting service Megaupload (2005–2012).[9][10] In 2012, the United States Department of Justice seized its website and pressed charges against Dotcom, including criminal copyright infringement, money laundering, racketeering and wire fraud.[11] Dotcom was residing in New Zealand at the time; at the request of US authorities, New Zealand police raided his home in 2012 and arrested him. Dotcom posted bail and initiated legal proceedings in order to prevent his extradition to the United States.

In 2017, a New Zealand court ruled that Dotcom could be extradited to the US on fraud charges related to Megaupload. Dotcom denied any wrongdoing and has accused US authorities of pursuing a vendetta against him on behalf of politically influential Hollywood studios.[12] In 2018, the New Zealand Court of Appeal upheld the lower court's ruling. Dotcom appealed to the Supreme Court of New Zealand, which ruled in 2020 that Dotcom could be extradited to the United States, but that he could challenge the decision through judicial review.[13] His extradition order was eventually signed on 15 August 2024.[14]

In 2013, Dotcom launched another cloud storage service called Mega, although he severed all ties with the service in 2015. He also started and funded the Internet Party.[15] The party contested the 2014 New Zealand general election under an electoral alliance with the Mana Movement and contested the 2017 general election independently, but failed to win any seats at either election.[16][additional citation(s) needed]

In 2017, Dotcom played a role in spreading conspiracy theories about the murder of Seth Rich.[17][18]

  1. ^ Kitteridge, Rebecca (8 July 2014). "Official Information Act Request: Mr Dotcom" (PDF). New Zealand Security Intelligence Service. p. 8. Archived (PDF) from the original on 20 December 2022. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
  2. ^ Carbone, Nick (21 January 2012). "Megaupload Founder Kim Dotcom, by the Numbers". Time. ISSN 0040-781X. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  3. ^ "The lavish life of file-sharing kingpin Kim Dotcom". news.com.au. 22 January 2012. Archived from the original on 5 October 2016. Retrieved 23 January 2012.
  4. ^ Schmidt, Karsten (23 January 2002). "Kimble bleibt stumm" [Kimble remains silent]. Manager Magazin (in German). Archived from the original on 14 February 2012. Retrieved 27 February 2012.
  5. ^ Barakat, Matthew; Perry, Nick (20 January 2012). "US Internet piracy case brings New Zealand arrests". The Washington Times. Associated Press. Archived from the original on 28 April 2012. Retrieved 27 February 2012.
  6. ^ Jamieson, Debbie (10 July 2022). "Dotcoms looking for nanny, chef and housekeeper at their $15m home". Stuff. Archived from the original on 10 October 2022. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
  7. ^ a b Gallagher, Sean. "The Fast, Fabulous, Allegedly Fraudulent Life of Megaupload's Kim Dotcom". Wired. ISSN 1059-1028. Archived from the original on 15 January 2023. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference :6 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Wishart, Ian (April 2010). "Merry Chrischmitz or Merry Hell?" (PDF). Investigate. Archived (PDF) from the original on 21 January 2012. Retrieved 31 December 2011. p 29.
  10. ^ Sandoval, Greg (4 August 2011). "The mystery man behind Megaupload piracy fight". CNET News. Archived from the original on 21 January 2012. Retrieved 19 January 2012.
  11. ^ Farivar, Cyrus (18 January 2015). "Why Kim Dotcom hasn't been extradited 3 years after the US smashed Megaupload". Ars Technica. Archived from the original on 4 July 2017. Retrieved 26 May 2017.
  12. ^ Eleanor Ainge Roy (20 February 2017). "Kim Dotcom extradition to US can go ahead, New Zealand high court rules". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 9 April 2021. Retrieved 23 April 2017.
  13. ^ Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  14. ^ Aikman, Ian (15 August 2024). "Kim Dotcom to be extradited from New Zealand to the US". BBC News. Archived from the original on 16 August 2024. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  15. ^ Walters, Laura (27 March 2014). "Launch day for Kim Dotcom's Internet Party". Stuff. Archived from the original on 7 December 2018. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
  16. ^ "Internet Party may try 2017 election". NZ Herald. 25 November 2014. Archived from the original on 28 October 2021. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
  17. ^ Cite error: The named reference :1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  18. ^ Cite error: The named reference :4 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).