- New Zealand wants to extradite Kim Dotcom to the US where he faces trial
This could be the provisional end of the career of Kim Dotcom: Several media outlets report that his current home country, New Zealand, wants to extradite the internet entrepreneur to the USA. There, the 50-year-old faces multiple trials, including charges of copyright infringement, fraud, and money laundering.
Justice Minister: "Kim Dotcom should be extradited to the USA to face trial"
Dotcom, formerly Kim Schmitz, has been fighting his deportation since 2012. Now, New Zealand's Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has reportedly agreed to his extradition to the United States, according to news agency Reuters citing a spokesperson for the ministry. Goldsmith later explained: "I have carefully reviewed all the information and decided that Mr. Dotcom should be extradited to the USA to face trial." The minister did not provide further comment. Dotcom has a short period to consider the decision.
For the internet entrepreneur, extradition could have serious consequences. The US justice system has been seeking a trial against Dotcom for years, which he has consistently denied. Shortly after the extradition order was published, the 50-year-old spoke out on X, appearing calm. He said he had "a plan". Later, he added: "I love New Zealand, I won't leave."
Dotcom's "Megaupload" portal became a symbol of illegal downloads in the early 2000s
Kim Dotcom became the symbol of illegal downloads of films, series, and music, and the associated copyright infringements. With his platform "Megaupload", he offered users the possibility to provide otherwise paid content for free download from 2005. Dotcom himself reportedly made a fortune from this. US authorities accuse him and three other leading figures of "Megaupload" of costing film studios and record labels around 500 million dollars. The FBI sees the activities of "Megaupload" as the largest case of copyright infringement in US history, as reported by "Der Spiegel".
In 2012, the authorities shut down the platform. The New Zealand police raided Dotcom's Auckland residence and temporarily arrested him. Since then, he has been fighting his expulsion to the USA with legal steps. Two of his colleagues agreed to a trial in New Zealand and were sentenced to prison terms in 2023. Another defendant died in 2022.
The Justice Minister of New Zealand, Paul Goldsmith, has agreed to extradite Kim Dotcom to the United States, which is his current home country, to face multiple trials. Dotcom, despite the extradition order, has expressed his love for New Zealand and stated that he won't leave.
