Internet entrepreneur Kim Dotcom is to be extradited from New Zealand to the United States as he faces charges related to his role in Megaupload, a file-hosting platform which reportedly cost film and record companies hundreds of millions of dollars.

Megaupload is a long-defunct file-hosting service founded by German-Finnish Kim Dotcom, which presented itself as an innocuous web service where users could store data and share files – but a significant portion of content on the platform was allegedly pirated.

At its peak, the platform was reportedly the 13th most popular website on the internet, accounting for a considerable 4 per cent of global online traffic.

Now, more than a decade since Megaupload was shut down by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Dotcom is set to be extradited from New Zealand to the US to face criminal charges for copyright infringement, money laundering, and racketeering.

According to Reuters, NZ justice minister Paul Goldsmith signed the extradition order for Dotcom after having “considered all of the information carefully” and deciding Dotcom should be “surrendered to the US to face trial”.

“As is common practice, I have allowed Mr Dotcom a short period of time to consider and take advice on my decision.

“I will not, therefore, be commenting further at this stage,” said Goldsmith.

US authorities have long had their sights on Dotcom for his alleged leadership role in “a criminal enterprise” which saw copyrighted works – such as films, television programs, music and software – unlawfully reproduced and distributed on a massive scale.

Kim Dotcom enjoys his party life. Photo: Good LIfe / YouTube

In 2012, the Department of Justice reported Megaupload caused estimated harms well in excess of $US500 million, while allegedly earning more than $US175 million in “illegal profits through advertising revenue and selling premium memberships”.

That same year, Dotcom was arrested during a raid of his Auckland mansion – coinciding with the arrests of Megaupload colleagues Finn Batato, Mathias Ortmann, and Bram van der Kolk.

While Batato passed away in 2022, both Ortmann and van der Kolk entered plea deals which saw them promise to testify against Dotcom.

In exchange, a New Zealand court sentenced them to roughly 2.5 years in jail as US efforts to extradite them were dropped.

Twelve-year standstill coming to an end

Dotcom’s extradition order signals the end of an arduous 12-year legal battle to halt his looming deportation to the US.

In 2015, after Megaupload programmer Andrus Nomm was sentenced to one year and one day in US federal prison for conspiring to commit felony copyright infringement, former US assistant attorney general Leslie Caldwell described the Megaupload debacle as “the largest criminal copyright case” in the country’s history.

Dotcom meanwhile evaded such penalties, going on to boast the comfort of his “luxury home in the beautiful alpine mountains of New Zealand” after having successfully fended off potential extradition for the better part of a decade.

Kim Dotcom driving a Rolls Royce. Photo: Good Life / YouTube

In 2021, however, New Zealand’s Supreme Court finally ruled Dotcom could indeed be extradited – effectively leaving it up to the country’s justice minister to make the call.

While no decision was announced in 2022 or 2023, Goldsmith, who was appointed Justice Minister in November, has now signed an extradition order to the US – where Dotcom could face a lengthy jail sentence.

On social media platform X – where Dotcom often waxes conspiratorial on geopolitical affairs – the Megaupload founder wrote a lengthy post about “rigged elections”, “US hegemony” and the inevitability of a third world war before briefly addressing his looming extradition.

Kim Dotcom's speedboat. Photo: Good Life / YouTube

“The obedient US colony in the South Pacific just decided to extradite me for what users uploaded to Megaupload, unsolicited, and what copyright holders were able to remove with direct delete access instantly and without question,” Dotcom wrote last week.

“But who cares? That’s justice these day [sic].”

Dotcom later added “I love New Zealand. I’m not leaving” followed by a snarky wink emoji.

“Don’t worry I have a plan,” Dotcom told his followers.

Ira Rothken, a member of Dotcom’s legal team, meanwhile announced an application for a judicial review to the High Court is being prepared.

Kim Dotcom’s birth name is Kim Shmitz. He changed his surname to Dotcom in 2005.