German-Finnish web anti-hero Kim Dotcom is possibly probably the most eccentric, and divisive, figures in tech historical past. A serial cybercriminal to a couple, a large-than-life legend to others. You both love him otherwise you hate him. Both manner, boy does he know the way to generate headlines.
Information broke this week that Dotcom is being extradited to america to stand prison fees associated with his defunct file-sharing carrier Megaupload. In 2012, US government accused Dotcom of conspiracy to dedicate racketeering, cord fraud, copyright infringement, and racketeering when it comes to the web page.
Since then, the rich person has been hiding out in New Zealand, dwelling a lifetime of opulence. Now his previous has come again to chunk him. He may resist 55 years in jail if convicted on all fees.
Kim Dotcom has described himself as an “web freedom fighter” and claims he had no regulate over what customers uploaded on his web page. The tech founder has vehemently denied any wrongdoing. “Don’t concern I’ve a plan,” Dotcom posted on X this week, based on the ruling.
Who’s Kim Dotcom?
Born Kim Schmitz, the web entrepreneur rose to popularity as a teenage hacker within the Nineteen Nineties, who flexed his talents through breaching the likes of NASA, the Pentagon, and Citibank. He become a self-proclaimed “tech millionaire” through the age of 20 and went directly to discovered quite a few on-line companies.
Dotcom’s maximum a success undertaking used to be Megaupload, which labored slightly like Dropbox or Google Force do these days. At its top, the web page accounted for 4% of the sector’s web visitors. It become a world hub for sharing huge amounts of copyrighted subject material.
As Kim Dotcom in the end faces the song, let’s take this chance to have a look at 5 loopy information about this larger-than-life web legend.
A yacht and the Prince of Monaco
Kim Dotcom is infamous for his opulent way of life, throwing extravagant events with Hollywood stars, supermodels, and political elites. All through the 2000 Monaco Formulation One Grand Prix, Dotcom chartered a 73-meter-long yacht and used it to host events for visitors equivalent to Prince Rainier of Monaco.
In 2012, Dotcom’s wealth used to be estimated at about $200mn. His private property incorporated dozens of luxurious vehicles, jet skis, helicopters, a non-public jet, and an enormous mansion with a large pool formed like a grand piano.
His wealth, and penchant for flaunting it, made him a extremely visual and arguable determine. However for a pc geek who spent maximum of his time crunching code and enjoying video video games through himself at house, it additionally made him a strolling contradiction.
Guinness International File
Kim Dotcom used to be as soon as the sector’s number-one-ranked Name of Accountability: Trendy Battle 3 participant out of greater than 15 million on-line gamers. He holds the Guinness International File for the longest multiplayer gaming consultation, lasting 36 hours and quarter-hour, set in 2013 whilst enjoying the first-person shooter.
Dotcom slipped to 2d position within the CoD ratings in 2012 following his arrest and next four-week detention in a New Zealand jail. Seems they don’t at all times have Xboxes in jails.
Hiding from the FBI
In 2012, helicopters, heavily-armed police, and anti-terrorist squads descended on Dotcom’s mansion in a Hollywood-style operation. The raid used to be a part of an FBI-led effort to close down Megaupload. Government seized property incorporated 18 luxurious vehicles, artworks, and $175mn in money.
All through the raid, Dotcom — a doomsday prepper and conspiracy theorist — attempted to evade seize through hiding out in a purpose-built protected room. Police controlled to damage in, the place they discovered him sitting down with a shotgun through his aspect.
Tune profession
All the way through his prison battles with america executive over Megaupload, Kim Dotcom continuously taunted government on social media. He even launched a rap video during which he depicted himself as a freedom fighter scuffling with towards a corrupt US executive.
Along his many social media movies, Dotcom even launched an album known as Just right Occasions in 2014. Megaupload’s theme music — that includes Sernena Williams, will.i.am, Kim Kardashian, Floyd Mayweather, Jamie Foxx, and others — must be probably the most annoyingly catchy track on the web.
After which got here this somewhat balk video of “Treasured,” a music written and carried out through Dotcom and his then spouse Mona about their youngsters. Sure, you heard that proper, Dotcom used to be a circle of relatives guy. He has six youngsters from 3 separate relationships.
Stint in politics
Through this level, you’re most definitely conscious that in the case of Kim Dotcom, the rest is going. So, it shouldn’t wonder you that the 2-meter-tall, 150-kg large even had a stint in politics.
In 2014, Dotcom shaped the Web Celebration in New Zealand. His purpose used to be to dethrone the present High Minister, John Key. He claimed to have “absolute evidence” within the type of an electronic mail appearing that the PM used to be excited by a plan to get Dotcom into New Zealand so he might be extradited to america.
Seems, the electronic mail used to be a faux. On election day, the Web Celebration failed to achieve any seats in parliament. Nevertheless it used to be an efficient eye-catching enterprise however — which just about sums up Dotcom’s whole lifetime of flashy toys, loopy stunts, and social media theatrics.
