Dotcom is the founder and former CEO of the defunct file hosting service Megaupload (20052012). Kim Dotcom, pictured here with Elizabeth Dotcom on his wedding day, is suing the New Zealand government for damages over the raid of his mansion in 2012 . It's official! [53] Dotcom's residency status subsequently became the subject of intense media speculation when it came to light that Auckland mayor John Banks had become involved and that New Zealand's intelligence services had spied on himan act made illegal by Dotcom's possession of residency in New Zealand. This is Dotcom's first public relationship since his split from former wife Mona, who he has 5 children with. This is Kim Dotcom's sixth child. [119], The wrangling continued at the hearing with Dotcom and his colleagues saying that they were unable to present a proper defence because the US had threatened to seize any funds they try to spend on international experts in Internet copyright issues. Dotcom founded the file-sharing platform Megaupload and has been in copyright legal battles for over a decade. "Today, 6 years ago, the NZ Govt enabled the unlawful destruction of Megaupload and seizure of my global assets. Dotcom announced he's in a relationship on social media last week, having . The site has since registered the names mega.co.nz and mega.net.nz. [59] A poll in October 2012 found the New Zealand public had a more favourable view of Kim Dotcom than of Banks. In 2012 the raid took place by the FB, who initiated to shut down his file-sharing business Megaupload. It's just normal,' she said, and beyond that it was no one business but theirs. In tweets, Dotcom claimed to be involved with Seth Rich as WikiLeaks source. [140], In late May 2017, Dotcom posted statements on Twitter and his website claiming he worked with Seth Rich on the Internet Party and had proof that Rich was the source of the 2016 Democratic National Committee email leak. [131] Dotcom's lawyer said that he would appeal the ruling to the Supreme Court. To love and be loved is what happiness is all about.". Britain's rock solid support for the Royal Family: With Charles' Coronation just four days way, a major poll LORD ASHCROFT: The monarchy has to change, but the King has time and goodwill on his side. [145], Seth Rich's Gmail account received an emailed invitation from Mega.com, the website created by Kim Dotcom, but for which he had not worked for years. [73] It also admitted to giving seized hard drives to the FBI, who made copies of them in New Zealand and then sent them back to the US. Once the minister's decision is made, if he supports extradition, his decision is open to challenge in court, and then appeals. [13] 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. He was first married to Mona Verga, whom he started dating in 2007. [26], Before his arrest in New Zealand, he was the world's number-one-ranked Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 player out of more than 15 million online players. Mansfield had the passage translated by three independent academics who said it had a very different meaning and should read: "At some stage a judge will be talked into how bad we allegedly are and then it will be a mess. [54], Despite granting him residency, Immigration New Zealand expressed concern that their decision might attract criticism that they had allowed Dotcom to buy his way into the country and attempted to keep it secret. We will have some friends over later:-) t.co/Vyl2jusM", https://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/the-diary-part-one-my-kids-are-my-life-mona/3E2CWR65TDUGNXCNSJ762K7RPI/, https://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/6634310/Kim-Dotcoms-wife-gives-birth, "Megaupload's Kim Dotcom Fathers Healthy Twin Girls", "Kim Dotcom becomes proud dad of twin girls", Megupload founder Kim Dotcom announces separation from wife Mona on Twitter, Kim Dotcom's wife left companies ahead of split, "Kim Dotcom weds Elizabeth Donnelly in private ceremony", Kim Dotcom and Elizabeth Donnelly to wed on raid anniversary, https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/kim-dotcoms-kash-win-new-baby-for-controversial-internet-entrepreneur/WWHK42P2NNCDLEKN4EXJ5PQGMI/, https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/mrs-dotcom-speaks-on-life-love-and-babies-with-kim-dotcom/XCTTNHDPGSSY3R2EON5I3267FU/, "Where Kim Dotcom Got His Start: The House Of Coolness", Inside Megaupload's Megamind: Kim Dotcom's Playboy Bunnies, Russian Nuclear Vessels, And Private War On Terror, Secrecy over Dotcom's residency application, Megaupload accused Kim Schmitz in court, helicopter part of bail debate, "Kim Dotcom didn't declare dangerous driving conviction", Dotcom's pop protest gets its first airing, "Kim Dotcom more popular than John Banks poll", "Kim Dotcom. he tweeted. [25], Dotcom visited New Zealand for 10days in December2008 and again for two months in 2009. Hurray!!! To honor the technology that made him a millionaire, he changed his last name to Dotcom. Thank you Kim Dotcom for absolutely everything. Elizabeth Donnelly also posted pictures outside his former . The 48-year-old German entrepreneur is still embroiled in an extradition process with the US Supreme Court, a decade after a ruling by New Zealands highest court cleared the path for him to be extradited. The 48-year-old German entrepreneur became a household name in 2012 after armed police stormed his rented Auckland mansion by helicopter at dawn, at the behest of the FBI, alleging he was part of a mega conspiracy over the Megaupload website. American authorities were pursuing him and two of the site's other founders on conspiracy, racketeering and money laundering charges. In an email, he said the engagement was "real". In contrast, the fledgling Internet Party was to benefit from the possibility of seats in parliament in the event that the combined structure were to achieve a greater percentage of the country's vote, helped along by the Mana Party's existing seat. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. The couple went public with their relationship in February 2016 and announced their engagement 11 months later, a year before the wedding. Elizabeth, a 22-year-old student from Auckland, has been seeing Dotcom, 43, since 2016. In Mrs Dotcom's first ever interview, given 12 days after they married in Coatesville in north Auckland, she spoke openly about meeting and. This also allowed Dotcom to sue the Crown for damages. The arrests were on behalf of the FBI, which was carrying out a worldwide operation targeting Megaupload. Sitio web: www.kim.com. [20] His father was German. [44] They had been dating for two years and in 2017 moved to Queenstown to live. [130], On 5 July 2018, the New Zealand Court of Appeal upheld the High Court's decision that Dotcom and the three co-accused could be extradited to the United States. In response, he allegedly pretended to kill himself online and declared through his website that he wished to be known as "His Royal Highness King Kimble the First, Ruler of the Kimpire". [23], He was granted permanent residence in New Zealand on 29 November 2010. This conviction was subsequently overturned on appeal following the discovery of new evidence, and a planned retrial was later cancelled and a verdict of acquittal entered. 'Everything is normal. Considerate, thoughtful.'. Elizabeth Donnelly, 22, married Megaupload boss Kim Dotcom, 44, last month Law student met the alleged internet pirate on Instagram in late 2015 Insists they fell in love quickly and she. Now! We're in love. She was firmly on his side in believing their was no legal basis in extraditing him to the U.S. to face trial, even after the NZ High Court a year ago ruled he could be. Due to his citizenship status, Dotcom was ineligible to become a member of parliament,[104] and Laila Harr, a veteran of left-wing politics and trade unions, was chosen as leader of the Internet Party. [72] The Crown later admitted that it was aware that it was using the wrong order while the raid was in progress and that Dotcom should have been given the chance to challenge the seizure. He fathered twin girls, his fourth and fifth children, with ex-wife Mona Verga, who he married in 2009 and divorced in 2014. [6] He was arrested in 1994 for trafficking in stolen phone calling card numbers. In February 2012, Lindsey Stirling released Lord of The Rings Medley,[148] a music video funded by Dotcom. [93] The Sunday Star-Times commentator Richard Boock compared the Dotcom saga to Watergate and suggested it might eventually 'bring down' John Key. My lawyers have served a multi-billion dollar damages claim against the Govt today.". Kim Dotcom has posted photos of his wedding to law student Elizabeth Donnelly. In regard to the illegal spying conducted by GCSB, Dotcom said they were not spying to find out where he was. [106] The event was billed as the "Moment of Truth" and included the release of what was claimed to be an email, dated 27 October 2010 from Kevin Tsujihara, the chief executive of Warner Bros. to a senior executive at the Motion Picture Association of America the lobby group for the Hollywood studios. Liz Dotcom, as she's now known,insists she's not a gold digger, they want at least two children, and their sex life is no one else's business, Kim is fighting extradition to the U.S. to face copyright infringement charges that could land him in jail for 88 years (couple pictured at 2016 court appearance). Dotcom argued in the Court of Appeal that there had been judicial miscarriage, but the court ruled in favour of the GCSB. In addition, the Supreme Court ruled that the High Court and Court of Appeal had been wrong not to consider their application for a judicial review of the original district court decision in 2015 that had first ruled in favour of extradition. Spouse. Dotcom and Donnelly tied the knot in . However, Justice Gilbert said there were "general criminal law fraud provisions" in New Zealand law which covered the actions of the accused and they could be extradited on that basis. Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group. [149] That October, he said that Megabox would launch on 19 January 2013, the first anniversary of Megaupload's shutdown. She was firmly on his side in believing there was no legal basis in extraditing him to the U.S. to face trial, even after the NZ High Court a year ago ruled he could be. Liz Dotcom, as she's now known, met her husband in late 2015 as a 20-year-old when he sent her a direct message on Instagram, she told the NZ Herald. My best man has arrived pic.twitter.com/OMQWfwZTkn. [45] This was Dotcom's sixth child, also conceived using IVF. . The new wife of alleged internet pirate Kim Dotcom insists she's not a gold digger, they want at least two children, and their sex life is no one else's business. Kim Dotcom married Aucklander Elizabeth Donnelly on January 20, 2018 the anniversary date of the raid in which he was arrested in 2012. been reached between police and Bram van der Kolk and Mathias Ortmann, who were also arrested. Ms Dotcom took to social media after the announcement to call herself 'the luckiest girl in the world', Their wedding was on the same date as when heavily-armed police swooped on his NZ$30 million mansion to arrest Kim on copyright infringement charges in 2012, Ms Dotcom with Kim's five children from his first marriage, to Mona Verga, with the couple wanting at least two more their own. Alongside a second picture of the ultrasound, he wrote: "When I told him he's a Dotcom he gave me a thumbs up in the ultrasound.". The Crown appealed, but the ruling was upheld by the High Court. (Techdirt valiantly tries to cover them here. [92], The mistakes by authorities attracted widespread media coverage and Key's handling of the affair was criticised by opposition parties in Parliament. RICHARD LITTLEJOHN: What do we want? Today, Kim and Liz Dotcom live in a sprawling home in Queenstown. She's got a right Lotte cheek with tantrums, feisty remarks and bossing her brothers about. What a wonderful day." She gave birth to five children. [60], In February 2003, Dotcom set up Data Protect Limited, but changed the name to Megaupload in 2005. [29][30][31] Dotcom and Verga had four children together, all using IVF treatment. [69], Dotcom was remanded to Mt Eden Prison and alleged poor treatment by the authorities. The New Zealand Herald reported that their settlements were six-figure sums and "it is likely Dotcom would seek more as the main target in the raid". Pure happiness," her post read. Dotcom shared photos of the day to his Instagram. [73] Justice Winkelmann ruled that the handing of hard drives seized by New Zealand police in the raid to the FBI, and the copying of data on them by the FBI, was illegal.