InfoAnda - Flamboyant online tycoon kept low profile in rural NZ |

Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case
Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They

Taiwan denies boycotting Australian film festival
Thursday, August 6, 2009

AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e

Merkel's support dips, regional ally resigns International
Thursday, September 3, 2009

By Sarah Marsh and Noah Barkin

BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German

Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who

Asian markets mixed after Wall Street rally
Wednesday, March 18, 2009

By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an

Yahoo! News | 10 December 2009
Chipmaker AMD's results point to better PC market | | 20 April 2012
U.S. Episcopal Church consecrates lesbian bishop | 16 May 2010

Shia LaBeouf Recovering Following Second Hand Surgery | 24 December 2008

Forum Views () Forum Replies ()

Read more with google mobile : Flamboyant online tycoon kept low profile in rural NZ |

Edition: U.S. Africa Arabic Argentina Brazil Canada China France Germany India Italy Japan Latin America Mexico Russia Spain United Kingdom Home Business Business Home Economy Davos 2012 Technology Media Small Business Legal Deals Earnings Summits Business Video The Freeland File Markets Markets Home U.S. Markets European Markets Asian Markets Global Market Data Indices M&A Stocks Bonds Currencies Commodities Futures Funds peHUB World World Home U.S. Brazil China Euro Zone Japan Mexico Russia India Insight World Video Reuters Investigates Decoder Politics Politics Home Election 2012 Issues 2012 Candidates 2012 Tales from the Trail Political Punchlines Supreme Court Politics Video Tech Technology Home MediaFile Science Tech Video Tech Tonic Opinion Opinion Home Chrystia Freeland John Lloyd Felix Salmon Jack Shafer David Rohde Bernd Debusmann Nader Mousavizadeh Lucy P. Marcus David Cay Johnston Bethany McLean Edward Hadas Hugo Dixon Ian Bremmer Mohamed El-Erian Lawrence Summers Susan Glasser The Great Debate Steven Brill Geraldine Fabrikant Breakingviews Equities Credit Private Equity M&A Macro & Markets Politics Breakingviews Video Money Money Home Tax Break Global Investing MuniLand Unstructured Finance Linda Stern Mark Miller John Wasik James Saft Analyst Research Alerts Watchlist Portfolio Stock Screener Fund Screener Personal Finance Video Money Clip Life Health Sports Arts Faithworld Business Traveler Entertainment Oddly Enough Lifestyle Video Pictures Pictures Home Reuters Photographers Full Focus Video Reuters TV Reuters News Article Comments (0) Slideshow Video Editor's Choice RIM and BlackBerry on the edge under new CEO Consumers ask for experimental drugs cover Tracking microclimates could help feed the world Tablet, e-reader ownership double over holidays Weaker sun will not delay global warming Korean research, a step toward Dr. Smartphone? Huge pool of Arctic water could cool Europe: study Great Debate: Keystone XL’s organizing principle Video: "Smart E-book" turns page on technology Slideshow: Wildfire in Nevada Follow Reuters Facebook Twitter RSS YouTube Read Aggressive Romney takes new tack in Florida | 1:05am EST Sun hurls strong geomagnetic storm toward Earth 23 Jan 2012 Gaddafi supporters seize control of Libyan town 23 Jan 2012 Putin warns ethnic tensions risk tearing Russia apart 23 Jan 2012 Toyota finds way to avoid using rare earth-media 23 Jan 2012 Discussed 308 Subculture of Americans prepares for civilization’s collapse 119 Supreme Court rejects judge-drawn Texas election maps 116 Obama set to reject Keystone oil pipeline: sources Watched Angelina Jolie fascinated by "bizarre" Republican presidential race Sun, Jan 22 2012 "Smart E-book" turns the page on reading technology Sun, Jan 22 2012 A dangerous walk to school Fri, Jan 20 2012 Flamboyant online tycoon kept low profile in rural NZ Tweet Share this Email Print Related News Megaupload boss says innocent, rival stops file-sharing Mon, Jan 23 2012 Exclusive: YouTube hits 4 billion daily video views Mon, Jan 23 2012 Megaupload story of Dotcom boom and bust Mon, Jan 23 2012 WRAPUP 1-Megaupload boss says innocent, rival stops file-sharing Mon, Jan 23 2012 UPDATE 1-Megaupload kingpin held in custody, says innocent Mon, Jan 23 2012 Related Topics Tech » Media » Related Video Megaupload founder held in custody Sun, Jan 22 2012 1 of 2. A view of Dotcom Mansion, home to Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom, is seen in Auckland January 24, 2012. Credit: Reuters/Nigel Marple By Michael Perry COATESVILLE, New Zealand | Tue Jan 24, 2012 1:48am EST COATESVILLE, New Zealand (Reuters) - Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom's online profile was larger-than-life, with fast women, faster cars and chartered planes, yet he lived like a virtual recluse in a sprawling, manicured estate on the outskirts of New Zealand's biggest city, Auckland. Dotcom, also known as Kim Schmitz, faces extradition to the United States over charges of masterminding a scheme that made more than $175 million by infringing copyrighted content without authorization on his online file-sharing website. The German national, who denies the charges, is currently in custody in a jail cell, and a New Zealand judge is due to decide by Wednesday whether he will get bail. Neighbors in this nouveau riche community of hobby farms, vineyards and equestrian clubs sometimes saw Dotcom on the winding roads in one of his luxury cars, but no one Reuters spoke to had actually met the multi-millionaire, former hacker. "We see him driving around, but he keeps to himself and we're quite close neighbors. I've seen him driving around with his 'GUILTY' number plate," said Libbi Darroch, as she groomed her 7-year-old showjumper Muffy at the Coatesville Pony Club. Living just over the hill from Dotcom's rented 30-acre property, the Darrochs drive past the estate's back entrance, guarded by a security outhouse and surveillance cameras, to reach the shops or take their daughter to school. "I've never seen him walking or anything. I think he does all his business in his mansion. All I thought was he had a funny number plate. People knew he was incredibly wealthy because of the huge rent he was paying," said Darroch. Dotcom, 38, rents what is reportedly New Zealand's most expensive house, built by the founders of Chrisco Christmas hamper fame and worth an estimated NZ$30 million, with a monthly rental put at NZ$30,000-NZ$40,000. At the nearby Coatseville general store, garage, cafe and gift shop, everyone told the same story - no one has actually met Dotcom, who reportedly stands two meters (six ft six inches) tall and weighs more than 130 kg (285 lbs). Nor has anyone met his wife, who is heavily pregnant with twins, or his three children or know where they go to school. CHAMPAGNE LIFESTYLE ONLINE Since taking up residence here in 2010, Dotcom has ordered some NZ$4 million ($3.2 million) of renovations to the mansion, including a heated lap pool with underwater speakers, imported spring water and a NZ$15,000 custom ladder, according to media. But any work on the estate, which looks like a world-class golf course with clipped lawns and staff moving about in golf carts, is organized by someone in his entourage, say locals. Adding to the reclusive image, Dotcom claims to have become the world's top player of the video game "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3" after racking up 702 hours of gaming in just months. On New Year's Eve, Dotcom uploaded a video of his achievements on YouTube, looking at the camera and punching the air. The time lapse video shows Dotcom sitting in a chair playing the game on his computer as the sun goes up and down. (here) Dotcom spent NZ$500,000 for a 2010 New Year's Eve fireworks display over Auckland, but few city officials have publicly admitted meeting him. Former Auckland mayor John Banks said he met him after his fireworks donation, but added he hardly knew the multi-millionaire. "He has been very generous to many charities and good causes as I understand it, and he was very generous to Auckland City when he volunteered to fund the fireworks display and did," Banks told local media Tuesday. Banks said he had dined at Dotcom's estate once. "I'm a car enthusiast and he had a nice collection of cars. I got to speak to him for a few minutes," he said. LOCAL SYMPATHY This all contrasts with Dotcom's online image, with one video showing him surrounded by topless women and men spraying champagne on board a superyacht during a "crazy weekend" in Monaco that cost a reported $10 million. "Fast cars, hot girls, superyachts and amazing parties. Decadence rules," said the commentary accompanying the so-called fun documentary, which Dotcom dedicated to "all my fans." Dotcom was arrested Friday in a high-octane raid by New Zealand police, backed by helicopters, on his home in Coatesville, during which the former hacker was found holed up in a safe room. The Federal Bureau of Investigation estimates Dotcom personally made around $115,000 a day during 2010 from his empire. The list of assets seized when he was arrested, included nearly 20 luxury cars, one of them a pink Cadillac, works of art, and NZ$10 million invested in local finance companies. Megaupload's lawyer has said the company simply offered online storage and has sought Dotcom's release on bail, but prosecutors say he is an extreme flight risk as he holds German and Finnish passports and probably has access to secret funds. Despite having no contact with Dotcom, many people in this sleepy village were sympathetic, believing he has been treated harshly for someone not charged with a violent crime. "He's innocent until proven guilty," said one woman at the Fernleigh Cafe. Another local protested that the police raid on Dotcom's house was heavy handed, with police rappelling down from a helicopter and busting down his bedroom door. Jeff Ifrah, a U.S.-based white collar defense lawyer, wrote in a blog that the U.S. government had raised the stakes by treating the Megaupload case as though it was dealing with organized crime and ignoring that other online file-sharing sites had successfully defended themselves. "These actions, more suitable to the type of steps that the government takes against an organized crime enterprise dedicated to murder, theft and racketeering, are astonishing," he wrote. Tuesday, while Dotcom sat for a fifth day in a prison cell, there was little activity at his estate, bar the security guards moving about quietly in golf carts. A Finnish flag flew above his mansion, while two statues of giraffes stood high on a hill overlooking the main entrance. (Editing by Ed Davies and Ian Geoghegan) Tech Media Related Quotes and News Company Price Related News Tweet this Link this Share this Digg this Email Reprints We welcome comments that advance the story through relevant opinion, anecdotes, links and data. If you see a comment that you believe is irrelevant or inappropriate, you can flag it to our editors by using the report abuse links. Views expressed in the comments do not represent those of Reuters. For more information on our comment policy, see http://blogs.reuters.com/fulldisclosure/2010/09/27/toward-a-more-thoughtful-conversation-on-stories/ Comments (0) Be the first to comment on reuters.com. Add yours using the box above. Edition: U.S. Africa Arabic Argentina Brazil Canada China France Germany India Italy Japan Latin America Mexico Russia Spain United Kingdom Back to top Reuters.com Business Markets World Politics Technology Opinion Money Pictures Videos Site Index Legal Bankruptcy Law California Legal New York Legal Securities Law Support & Contact Support Corrections Advertise With Us Connect with Reuters Twitter Facebook LinkedIn RSS Podcast Newsletters Mobile About Privacy Policy Terms of Use Our Flagship financial information platform incorporating Reuters Insider An ultra-low latency infrastructure for electronic trading and data distribution A connected approach to governance, risk and compliance Our next generation legal research platform Our global tax workstation Thomsonreuters.com About Thomson Reuters Investor Relations Careers Contact Us Thomson Reuters is the world's largest international multimedia news agency, providing investing news, world news, business news, technology news, headline news, small business news, news alerts, personal finance, stock market, and mutual funds information available on Reuters.com, video, mobile, and interactive television platforms. Thomson Reuters journalists are subject to an Editorial Handbook which requires fair presentation and disclosure of relevant interests. NYSE and AMEX quotes delayed by at least 20 minutes. Nasdaq delayed by at least 15 minutes. For a complete list of exchanges and delays, please click here.

Other News on Tuesday, 24 January 2012
Egypt's Islamist-led parliament meets, rivalries on display |
Putin warns ethnic tensions risk tearing Russia apart |
U.N. probes new charges of peacekeeper sex abuse in Haiti |
Yemen sends more troops to militant-held town |
U.S. and Afghan officials flexible on peace, outlawed group says |
Gaddafi supporters seize control of Libyan town |
Lone voice reveals fear, division in Syria's Homs |
Apple 2012: Smooth sailing, for the most part |
EU's Reding says data fines not in focus |
Korean research, a first step toward Dr. Smartphone? |
Police need warrant for GPS tracking: court |
Occupy movement gets help from its musical friends |
Aretha Franklin calls off wedding plans |
Altitude sickness causes Tracy Morgan Sundance collapse |
Epic clash: Silicon Valley blindsides Hollywood on piracy |
Syria denounces Arab League for telling Assad to quit |
Chinese forces break up Tibetan protest with tear |
Two car bombs kill 10, wound 38 in Iraq capital |
Japan task force kept no records of nuclear crisis response |
France to decide on Afghan pullout after Karzai visit |
France urges Turkey not to overreact to genocide law |
East Afghan frontline emerges as major hurdle |
Gaddafi supporters seize control of Libyan town |
Insight: As Africa's consumers rise, so does inequality |
Flamboyant online tycoon kept low profile in rural NZ |
Sony and Panasonic brace for grim earnings season |
TI says chip demand is improving; to close 2 factories |
Playtech gears up for global expansion |
Analysis: Megaupload shutdown unlikely to deter piracy |
Ex-U.S. spy chief says may take crisis for new cyber law |
Sage mindful of European woes on customers |
Supreme Court rules police need warrant for GPS tracking |
Elpida in talks to merge with Micron, Nanya: report |
Rebecca Hall rolls dice with movie Lay The Favorite |
Newcomer Gina Rodriguez wows Sundance as Filly Brown |
Shahs of Sunset puts young Iranians on U.S. TV map |
Iran says sanctions to fail, repeats Hormuz threat |
Egypt partially lifts state of emergency law |
U.S. warns over Bahrain travel before anniversary |
Hungary EU deal hopes dim, PM in Brussels |
New body found on wrecked Italian ship |
Nigeria's Boko Haram killed 935 people since 2009 |
EU wants bold peace bids by Palestinians, Israel |
Europe faces malaise and must reform, World Bank says |
Netflix glad 2011 over but 2012 may mean more pain |
Apple again loses Dutch bid for Samsung tablet ban |
Verizon Wireless margins hurt by iPhone |
About one in five workers worldwide telecommute: poll |
Chipmakers' forecasts prompt fears of Nokia slump |
RIM's new leader raises doubts among investors |
Nokia fined for spam texts in Australia |
Russian handset sales back to pre-crisis level: MTS |
The Artist, Hugo lead the way in Oscar nods |
Potter star looks to life without wands or wizards |
Abu Dhabi resumes Louvre, Guggenheim projects |
Rushdie India speech cancelled amid death threats |
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights

USD EUR - 1 year graph		BlogMeter 1.01