Kim Dotcom
Also known as: Kim Schmitz
Charged, Arrested
Public record reviewed to August 20, 2026
Index entry last updated August 21, 2026
Alleged founder and controlling figure of Megaupload.
Every charge in this entry is an allegation. No conviction is recorded.
- Founder of Megaupload.
- Extradition to the US was contested for years in New Zealand courts.
Everything on this page comes from cited public sources.
This entry records 2 actions across 1 takedown, each traced to a cited source. At least one linked takedown was added in the extended pass and was not independently source verified. Where the record is silent, this page says so rather than filling the gap.
Legal summary
- Associated takedowns
- Megaupload seizure
- Recorded role
- Founder and controlling figure of Megaupload
- Group segment
- Core operator
- Charging authority
- United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia
- Charging jurisdiction
- United States
- Case number
- Not published
- Latest recorded action
- Arrested, January 2012
- Nationality
- Germany
- Country of residence
- New Zealand
Associated takedowns
Law enforcement actions against infrastructure and services linked to this person, and the action recorded against the person in each one.
Outcomes and dates follow the public reporting cited on the sources tab and are subject to revision.
2 recorded actions across 1 takedown
| Date | Takedown | Target | Connection | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 19, 2012 , Source [1] | Megaupload seizure , Piracy and IP | Megaupload | Founder and controlling figure of Megaupload | Charged . One of seven defendants named in the indictment. |
| January 20, 2012 , Source [1] | Megaupload seizure , Piracy and IP | Megaupload | Founder and controlling figure of Megaupload | Arrested . Arrested at his rented estate near Auckland; extradition litigation continued for years. |