Kim Dotcom and Elizabeth Donnelly married in Coatesville. Photo / Supplied
Kim Dotcom and Elizabeth Donnelly married in Coatesville. Photo / Supplied
Kim Dotcom has spoken of his "fairytale" wedding day – but revealed poor health has forced him and his new wife to delay their planned move to Queenstown.
And just a week after getting married – and announcing his lawyers are serving a "multi-billion dollar damages claim" against the NewZealand Government – the entrepreneur says the police raid on the Coatesville mansion made him feel like he was being treated like "Osama bin Laden".
In an exclusive interview with the Herald on Sunday, Dotcom has revealed his doctor has advised him to stay in Auckland; dashing plans of he and his new wife Elizabeth setting up base in Queenstown.
The house the pair had found is now being used by Dotcom's first wife, Mona, and their children.
"My health isn't the best after six years of stress," Dotcom said.
"My doctor recommended that I stay close to Auckland.
"But my kids are coming to see me during holidays and weekends. They love it in Queenstown and I wanted them to make the best childhood memories there. It really is paradise on earth."
Kim, 44, and Elizabeth, 22, married last Saturday in Coatesville on the sixth anniversary of the raid on the Coatesville mansion he was living in.
The pair used their wedding to turn the anniversary of the 2012 raid of Dotcom's Coatesville mansion into a "day of joy".
Dotcom and three others were arrested on behalf of the FBI, which was carrying out a worldwide operation targeting his file-sharing business Megaupload; which at the time consumed 4 per cent of the globe's internet traffic.
The police used the armed anti-terrorist Special Tactics Group during the helicopter assault on the mansion.
"So the extradition must fail and the whole military style raid was unlawful.
"They terrorised my family and arrested me like I'm Osama bin Laden for nothing more than a civil copyright claim."
Dotcom said he received plenty of support via social media for his damages claim over the past week – which the Government last weekend said it wouldn't comment on.
He said he was "a bit surprised" about the support after his "failed attempt to change the Government in 2014" – which included the creation of the Internet Party and several claims of wrong-doing by the then National Government – which he said "wasn't appreciated by most New Zealanders".
"But it seems like that's in the past and Jacinda [Ardern] has done a great job winning the 2017 election," he said.
"I'm happy for New Zealand's future and anything that would come from my damages claim would go towards good causes in New Zealand. I'm also open to come to a reasonable settlement with the new Government.
"I'm sure the taxpayers would welcome a less costly and peaceful resolution of the matter, after six years of unnecessary drama."
Dotcom and his former wife late last year accepted a confidential settlement from police over the raid.
That deal was made after Dotcom had sought a damages claim in the High Court over alleged "unreasonable force".
As well as seeking damages from the Government, Dotcom said he planned to take legal action against Hollywood studios over the lengthy legal wrangle which has now dragged on for six years.
Dotcom added that he wanted to ensure New Zealand stayed home for both him and his family.
"My kids are Kiwi," he said. "My wife is a Kiwi. And hopefully one day I'll be granted New Zealand citizenship to join the rest of the family and all my fellow Kiwis in happy Kiwidom."
