After a nearly 13-year battle, Kim Dotcom, the infamous founder of Megaupload, is set to face US charges. New Zealand’s Justice Minister, Paul Goldsmith, signed an extradition order on Thursday, paving the way for Dotcom’s surrender to American authorities.
The decision comes more than six years after a New Zealand court initially ruled in favor of extradition. Since then, Dotcom has pursued a series of appeals, culminating in Thursday’s order. In a statement, Goldsmith explained that he had carefully considered all relevant information before making his decision.
Megaupload, once the 13th most visited site online, was a notorious hub for pirated content. In 2012, US authorities charged Dotcom and six others with racketeering, copyright infringement, and money laundering, among other crimes. The indictment alleged that Megaupload had cost copyright holders $500 million in damages, while generating $175 million in revenue from ads and premium subscriptions.
Dotcom’s past is marked by a series of run-ins with the law. In the 1990s, he claimed to have spent time in a Munich jail for hacking into Pentagon computers. He also received a suspended sentence for a phone card scam. In 2001, he was accused of insider trading in Germany, but fled the country before being captured in Thailand and extradited.
After serving time in Germany, Dotcom relocated to New Zealand, where he lived in a luxurious mansion. The property was the site of a dramatic raid in 2012, during which Dotcom barricaded himself inside and was eventually found standing near a firearm.
Dotcom has never been one to shy away from controversy, and his latest statement on X is no exception. He claimed that New Zealand had acted as an “obedient US colony” in deciding to extradite him, and that he was being held accountable for the actions of Megaupload users.
