Kim Dotcom, just 37, and the "founder, former CEO and current chief innovation officer" of the now-seized MegaUpload (and "Megavideo.com, Megaporn.com, and Megapay.com"), has lived a lot more than the rest of us. Arrested yesterday, again, he did it the hard way: "Mr. Dotcom, a 37-year-old with dual Finnish and German citizenship, retreated into a safe room, and the police had to cut their way in. He was eventually arrested with a firearm close by that the police said appeared to be a shortened shotgun."
So what's he been up to recently? "Dotcom has little to do with the Auckland social circuit and lived largely behind the walls of the mansion surrounded by bodyguards and parkland. He posted videos displaying his expensive tastes, including driving a Mercedes around a golf course and spending 1 million New Zealand dollars on a public fireworks display in Auckland in 2010."
I'm just glad he got that favela paintballing trip in before they nabbed him.
Oh, so I guess the war on sharing MP3s and hilarious cat videos is the new war on drugs.
AWESOME.
Apparently, Grizz is still at large.
I thought they burst his bubble back in '01.
Apparently this fellow's Mercedes has personalized plates that read "GOD". Why have I not read a 14 page article on this guy in Vanity Fair or something?
@SuperMargie Because he hasn't slid down an inflatable water slide on a yacht in public yet.
That FBI press release is a bit of a stretch.
"The conspirators further allegedly offered a rewards program that would provide users with financial incentives to upload popular content"
You don't say?
And somehow this is money laundering.
"The indictment charges the defendants with conspiring to launder money by paying users through the sites’ uploader reward program and paying companies to host the infringing content"
the real crime is that house.
@HiredGoons Drug dealer chic.
@HiredGoons: The Finns are embarrassed he put their flag on top of that pile.
@HiredGoons: Those windows make feel like I should be shoving some very large quarters in them.
@HiredGoons Downunder Shabbey.
@HiredGoons The best thing about that house is that is actually known as the "Chrisco mansion", after it was built by the founders of the Chrisco scheme that encourages people to send $10 a week in return for a hamper of second-class goods at Christmas time.
(Also, Dotcom was legally prevented from buying it by the Government, as he wasn't of sound character. Seems like a good test to me to weed out people you don't want living long term in your country: "Do you want to buy this god-awful excuse for a building?" "Yes". "I'm so sorry, you're not welcome here.")
Good work by arresting officer, Rick Nailedthatfucker.
I would like to thank the Awl for alerting me to the fact this guy’s name is “Dotcom.” Seriously, when I saw that Choire wrote it I thought it was wry parody for a second. So I googled the name just in case… AND THE GUY IS NAMED DOTCOM!!!