When news of the international raid on Megaupload broke Thursday in the U.S., Internet aficionados got a glimpse at the man behind of the largest file-sharing websites in the world. And it turns out the site’s founder, Kim Dotcom, was rich, large, and most certainly in charge. He currently sits in a New Zealand prison awaiting trial, while we attempt to dissect the man who (formerly) controlled the online media empire.
2: Number of citizenships held by Dotcom, Megaupload’s former CEO and current Chief Innovation Officer. He holds passports from Germany, where he was born Kim Schmitz, as well as Finland, but is a resident of New Zealand and Hong Kong.
3: Number of other Megaupload employees arrested along with Dotcom. Bram van der Kolk, Finn Batato and Mathias Ortmann were grabbed by New Zealand authorities Friday.
6:45 a.m.: The time of the early-morning raid on Dotcom’s property by New Zealand police. As officers swarmed the property, Dotcom reportedly barricaded himself into a panic room built into his bedroom and armed himself with what appeared to be a sawed-off shotgun, police said.
6’ 7”, 300 lbs: Dotcom’s reported height and weight. The larger-than-life figure was indeed, rather large.
37: Age of Dotcom upon his arrest Friday, January 20, 2012. He turned 38 on January 21 and was reported to have been arrested during or just after his birthday party.
76: Number of New Zealand police officers involved in the raid.
2005: The year Dotcom founded Megaupload, headquartered in Hong Kong. Authorities say that while some of its file-sharing business was legitimate, the site was also a major clearinghouse for illegally pirated movies, TV shows and software
$12,000: The alleged cost per day of the Hong Kong luxury hotel room hosting Megaupload’s main office.
$4.9 million: The estimated worth of the 18 cars seized at Dotcom’s estate. The haul-away included 15 Mercedes-Benzes, a pink 1959 Cadillac, and a Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe worth more than $400,000. His license plates told a tale of pompousness, reading KIMCOM, HACKER, STONED, GUILTY, MAFIA, GOD and POLICE.
$24 million: The price tag (in USD) on the 25,000-square-foot sprawling mansion Dotcom leases in Coatesville, New Zealand, 15 miles northwest of Auckland. Costing $30 million New Zealand Dollars, it’s one of the most expensive properties in the country.
$175 million: The total worth of assets owned by Dotcom and his Megaupload employees, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. The figure includes vehicles, artwork, bank accounts, and a smattering of giant screen televisions.
$500 million: Monetary damage to copyright holders caused by Megaupload, as estimated by the U.S. Department of Justice.
