Saturday, 13 January 2024
KaitaiaWhangareiDargavilleAucklandThamesTaurangaHamiltonWhakataneRotoruaTokoroaTe KuitiTaumarunuiTaupoGisborneNew PlymouthNapierHastingsDannevirkeWhanganuiPalmerston NorthLevinParaparaumuMastertonWellingtonMotuekaNelsonBlenheimWestportReeftonKaikouraGreymouthHokitikaChristchurchAshburtonTimaruWanakaOamaruQueenstownDunedinGoreInvercargill
NZ HeraldThe Northern AdvocateThe Northland AgeThe AucklanderWaikato HeraldBay Of Plenty TimesRotorua Daily PostHawke's Bay TodayWhanganui ChronicleThe Stratford PressManawatu GuardianKapiti NewsHorowhenua ChronicleTe Awamutu CourierVivaEat WellOneRoofDRIVEN Car GuideThe CountryPhoto SalesiHeart RadioRestaurant Hub
Voyager 2023 media awards
Subscribe
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / New Zealand

Multi-millionaire hacker buys Chrisco mansion

Herald on Sunday
By Rebecca Lewis
13 Feb, 2010 03:00 PM3 mins to read
Saveshare

Share this article

facebookcopy linktwitterlinkedinredditemail

A convicted German computer hacker is believed to be the secret buyer of the $30 million Chrisco mansion.

The Coatesville property, considered New Zealand's most expensive house, has been vacant since Richard and Ruth Bradley, the British founders of the Chrisco Christmas Hamper fortune, relocated to Sydney nearly two years ago.

A source who wishes to remain anonymous said Kim "Kimble" Schmitz, 36, was the man behind an arrangement including a long-term lease of the 24.3ha estate, and sale once the lease expires.

The Finnish flag flying from the house last week, was "a disguise".

The source, who knows Schmitz, had heard he was interested in the mansion a few months ago and had recently been told Schmitz had entered into an agreement for the property with the Bradleys.

Schmitz rose to fame in Germany in the 1990s as a teenage internet tycoon, who eventually received a two-year probationary sentence for hacking into corporate computer systems and accepting gang-related stolen goods.

He also had to pay a €100,000 ($195,000) fine for what was then Germany's largest insider-trading case. Newspaper reports said that after his arrest he made his fortune by investing in tech stocks and selling a majority stake in an internet security company, DataProtect.

The company filed for insolvency shortly after.

In 2001, Schmitz provided more than $1 million of his own money to help the flailing web company LetsBuyIt.com, but was arrested the following year for his alleged involvement in the "fluctuating fortune" of the Dutch company.

According to the Independent, Schmitz was deported from Thailand and arrested at Munich Airport, where he called himself the "Royal Highness Kimble the First".

His now seemingly defunct website www.kimble.org once provided details of his extravagant life - including images of his cars, his yacht and the Playboy models he surrounded himself with.

Discussion on internet forums questioned the authenticity of the images.

Weighing a hefty 136kg, Schmitz has been called one of the world's "largest tech entrepreneurs".

He is believed to be living in the penthouse of a Hong Kong hotel - and to have started an investment company called Trendax - but travels between Dubai, Australia, Germany and the Philippines.

The Coatesville mansion was completed in 2006 and features a tennis court and a lap-pool.

Last week labourers working on the property said no one would be occupying the house for "a couple of months".

The sale price is not known.

Related articles

New Zealand

Foreigner snaps up $30m Chrisco mansion

06 Feb 03:00 PM
Saveshare

Share this article

facebookcopy linktwitterlinkedinredditemail
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from New Zealand

New ZealandUpdated

Live: Contractors, suppliers arrive for Jacinda Ardern's wedding to Clarke Gayford in Hawke's Bay

12 Jan 08:39 PM
New Zealand

How will the weather be for Dame Jacinda Ardern's wedding?

12 Jan 08:35 PM
New Zealand

UK and US attack Houthi rebels, Papua New Guinea riots and Twizel ready for the heat | Focus Morning Bulletin January 13, 2024

New Zealand

Ice cream expert's tips for the perfect scoop

“Never been a better time to buy an EV”

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from New Zealand

Live: Contractors, suppliers arrive for Jacinda Ardern's wedding to Clarke Gayford in Hawke's Bay

Live: Contractors, suppliers arrive for Jacinda Ardern's wedding to Clarke Gayford in Hawke's Bay

12 Jan 08:39 PM

The first people turn up at the venue for the former Prime Minister's big day.

How will the weather be for Dame Jacinda Ardern's wedding?

How will the weather be for Dame Jacinda Ardern's wedding?

12 Jan 08:35 PM
UK and US attack Houthi rebels, Papua New Guinea riots and Twizel ready for the heat | Focus Morning Bulletin January 13, 2024

UK and US attack Houthi rebels, Papua New Guinea riots and Twizel ready for the heat | Focus Morning Bulletin January 13, 2024

Ice cream expert's tips for the perfect scoop

Ice cream expert's tips for the perfect scoop

9 big questions over an EV road trip
sponsored

9 big questions over an EV road trip

NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
  • Bundle subscriptions
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • What the Actual
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven CarGuide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2024 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP