Website of the YearShe's half his age, and has moved into his penthouse Auckland apartment, just eight weeks after they started exchanging text messages on Instagram. But Elizabeth Donnelly, 21, insists her love for Kim Dotcom is the real thing.
According to Dotcom, Ms Donnelly's relationship with him had taken off at "internet speed". He said: "I'm in love. We're in love. This is not some fling - this is serious."
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It certainly is a whirlwind romance. Ms Donnelly, who is a third year business and law student at Auckland University of Technology, only ended her previous relationship, with Auckland socialite and businessman Mark Harrison, just over a week ago.
In an interview with the Herald, Dotcom revealed the couple were head over heels in love. "I thought I would never love again. My heart turned ice cold after my separation from Mona. To love and be loved is what happiness is all about. I'm so happy that I met Liz and that I can feel those butterflies again."
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Advertise with NZME.Ms Donnelly revealed details of an unorthodox first date spent at the lavish penthouse with estranged wife Mona and the children.
"I came over here (to the penthouse). We just hung out inside and the kids were here and Mona was here but we got on well," she said.
She said her family and friends had been asked to initially keep the new relationship under wraps until the pair were certain where it was headed. "All my friends know and are cool with it. My family are fine with it too," Ms Donnelly said.
Dotcom said they were keen on each other from the start but he was prepared to give her time to choose between him and her then boyfriend, and even encouraged her to go on holiday with Harrison earlier this year.
She called quits on the relationship when she returned and felt confident that it was over.
Mr Harrison refused to comment on his relationship when contacted by the Herald.
Elizabeth Donnelly with Mark Harrison
Dotcom said his new partner was incredibly caring and the pair enjoyed spending hours together.
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Advertise with NZME."Before anything she is kind and very considerate and sweet. It's just great to spend time with her."
While the couple were prepared for their detractors they were focused on their new-found happiness and live together as a regular couple. "We want to go to restaurants and watch a movie without anything to hide," he said. "We want to enjoy this. We want to be a normal couple. There will be all kinds of comments. Everyone will have an opinion. We'll take it as it comes."
The couple were now excited by the future. "Everything is going so well," Dotcom said. "My luck has changed once I moved away from that mansion."
Dotcom has been on his own since his wife of five years, Mona, left him in March 2014.
Dotcom said he now planned to divorce her when the official two-year separation period ended.
He said it took a long time to get over his wife leaving and she would always be special to him. "She has given me my amazing children and I'm very grateful for that," he said.
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Advertise with NZME.Dotcom has made it no secret he was keen to have a new partner, even turning to Twitter to find love.
In December, a judge cleared the way for Dotcom to be extradited to the US to face internet piracy charges. His legal team is appealing the decision.
