Kim Dotcom is a notorious figure in the internet realm. Many of you would know him as the founder of the site Megaupload.com. Kim has many aliases, such as Kimble and Kim Tim Jim Vestor.
Kim’s real name is Kim Schmitz. He is originally from Germany. His website Megaupload.com is a file-sharing platform that has resulted in the loss of millions of dollars.
For those curious to know, Kim Dotcom’s current net worth is $10 million.
Contents
Quick Facts
| Full Name |
Kim Schmitz
|
| Birth Date | 21 January 1974 |
| Age | 50 |
| Country of Origin | Germany |
| Nationality |
Germany, Finland
|
| Profession | Entrepreneur and Political Activist |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Parent’s Name | Unknown |
| Spouse |
Elizabeth Donnelly
|
| Social Media Accounts: | Facebook |
| Net Worth (as of 2024) | $10 million |
| Last Updated: | June 28, 2024 |
Family and Early Life
Kim Schmitz was born on 21st January 1974, in Kiel, Germany. To pay tribute to the internet industry, he legally changed his surname to Dotcom. That’s how he came to be known as Kim Dotcom.
Kim has always been interested in hacking and programming. As a teen, he started learning programming on his own. Surprisingly, he turned out to be good at it.
He claims to have hacked Pentagon, NASA’s security system, and Citibank. Later, he launched an online bulletin board called House of Coolness. It is a platform where he shares information about various software and hacking.
Kim was taken into custody in 1994. But due to his age, he was let go on a suspended sentence.
Personal Life
Talking about Kim’s personal life, he is a married man. His wife is Mona Verga, a former Philippine model. The two got married in 2009. However, the couple got divorced in 2014.
Kim married for the second time in 2018. His second wife is Elizabeth Donnelly, a native of New Zealand. The two left their luxury mansion to live in Wyuna Preserve, Queenstown.
Megaupload.com
Kim Dotcom is known for his shady internet site Megaupload.com. To continue with his internet-based career, he left Germany to escape the authorities. In 2005, he launched Megaupload.com. During this time, he was settled in Hong Kong.
Megaupload.com became widely popular among users, resulting in $150,000 in income per day. After some time, he relocated to New Zealand and started living an extraordinary life. He owned private yachts, jets, supercars, mansions, and whatnot.
As per reports, Megaupload.com has caused losses of over $500 million to the entertainment industry. Kim’s operations were seized by the US government in 2012.
What is Kim Dotcom doing now?
Kim Dotcom is facing a lifelong sentence in prison. He might also be ordered to return over $10 million, the amount he earned through illegal profits.
In 2014, Kim revealed that he is broke. His life story was featured in a documentary released in 2017. It was titled Kim Dotcom: Caught on the Web.
Kim Dotcom Fallout
In 2005, Dotcom launched Megaupload, an online service for sharing and hosting files, and became its CEO. The platform quickly gained immense popularity, attracting 50 million visitors daily and generating $175 million in revenue.Â
However, by early 2012, Dotcom and other Megaupload executives faced legal troubles in the US. They were accused of copyright infringement, money laundering, and racketeering. Following these charges, Dotcom and his colleagues were arrested in New Zealand, where police seized 18 luxury cars and froze his global bank accounts.
The legal battle shifted to the High Court of New Zealand, which later ruled that the warrants used to seize Dotcom’s assets were illegal. It was also determined that the New Zealand police’s actions in handing over Dotcom’s hard drives to the FBI were unlawful.
Earnings and Net Worth
Kim Dotcom estimated net worth is $150 million. A vast majority of his wealth came from the site Megaupload.com.
Kim was an expert hacker since very young. He launched Megaupload.com which generated over $40 million in 2011.
Before getting arrested, he enjoyed his life in complete luxury. From expensive cars to mansions, he had everything that one could only imagine.
At present, he is fighting the charges against him. He is sentenced to 55 years in prison.
FAQs
1. How did Kim Dotcom make his money?
Kim is the founder and former CEO of Megaupload. However, in 2012, the website was seized and closed by the United States Department of Justice where it was reported to have been violating copyright laws, etc.
2. Does Kim Dotcom still own Mega?
When you open Kim’s official website, it suggests that he is still associated with the platform but the website is not functional anymore and he is not associated with it at all.
3. Where is Kim Dotcom living?
Kim and his wife Liz live in Queenstown. They seem to have a very lowkey life away from the media and prefer things that way.
