New Zealand Approves Extradition of Kim Dotcom to the United States

In a dramatic turn of events, New Zealand's Justice Minister announced on Thursday that German entrepreneur Kim Dotcom will be extradited to the United States. Dotcom, known for founding the now-defunct file-sharing service Megaupload, has been embroiled in a lengthy legal battle since 2012, when U.S. authorities accused him of orchestrating a scheme that cost the film and music industries over $500 million.

The Minister confirmed, “Mr. Dotcom will face trial in the U.S.,” marking a significant moment in a saga that began with a high-profile FBI raid on his Auckland mansion. With a signed extradition order now in place, Dotcom has been given a brief window to seek legal advice before the media storm intensifies.

U.S. authorities claim that Dotcom and his accomplices profited from user-uploaded copyrighted materials, generating approximately $175 million in revenue from Megaupload.

Dotcom broke his silence on social media: "I became a benefactor to WikiLeaks following Julian's exposure of US war crimes. The moment I was out on bail, I established Mega and promptly donated my first $100k earnings to WikiLeaks. I'd do it all again."

Co-conspirators Ortmann and van der Kolk survived extradition, struck a plea deal, and faced the music in New Zealand. Batato, however, met an untimely demise in 2022.

- CyberBeat