Kim Dotcom reveals health battles after stroke amid extradition fight: wheelchair use, speech impairment

Kim Dotcom, pictured at a hearing in 2015, took his fight against extradition to the US to the Supreme Court. Photo / Jason Oxenam

Kim Dotcom has revealed he’s suffering serious health issues after a life-threatening stroke amid his ongoing extradition battle.

The internet mogul spoke about his health battles in a post to X, where he revealed he has to use a wheelchair following the November 7 stroke.

“Sorry, I have some memory loss and speech impairment issues,” he wrote.

“I’m working on my recovery from my stroke. Please pray for my family and I.”

Sorry I have some memory loss and speech impairment issues. I also have to use a wheelchair. I’m working on my recovery from my stroke. Please pray for my family and I.

— Kim Dotcom (@KimDotcom) January 9, 2025

Dotcom was hospitalised in November after the serious stroke, just months after the Justice Minister signed an extradition order for the internet entrepreneur, who faces charges in the US.

“It’s been very serious and we honestly did not know whether he would survive or what that looks like,” his lawyer, Ron Mansfield KC, said at the time.

Dotcom had made his health battle known on X in late November.

Kim Dotcom has revealed he has memory loss and speech impediment issues after a November stroke. Photo / Newstalk ZB

“UPDATE: I am recovering from a serious stroke. I have the best health professionals helping me to make a recovery. I will be back as soon as I can. Please be patient and pray for my family and I,” he wrote on November 25.

In 2018, Dotcom revealed his health “isn’t the best after six years of stress”.

“My doctor recommended that I stay close to Auckland,” he said.

For Christmas, the internet mogul shared a photo to X of himself surrounded by family.

“The doctors said NO! I said YES! Merry Christmas to you,” he wrote in the post.

The doctors said NO! I said YES! Merry Christmas to you. pic.twitter.com/nBWvngIl2a

— Kim Dotcom (@KimDotcom) December 24, 2024

German-born Dotcom moved to New Zealand in 2010. He has been facing potential extradition since 2012 when he was arrested as part of a global sting.

The United States Justice Department pressed charges against Dotcom, including criminal copyright infringement, money laundering, racketeering and wire fraud.

Earlier last year, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith announced he had signed Dotcom’s extradition order.

Goldsmith said he had “received extensive advice from the Ministry of Justice on this matter”.

“I considered all of the information carefully, and have decided that Mr Dotcom should be surrendered to the US to face trial,” Goldsmith said.

Dotcom vowed to fight back and could seek a review of the process.

Dotcom has been a feature of New Zealand public life almost since he arrived.

In 2012, his rented house, dubbed the “Dotcom Mansion” was raided by the Police Special Tactics Group as part of a worldwide FBI operation to take down Dotcom’s Megaupload file-sharing website, which was claimed to be at the centre of a massive criminal copyright operation.

Sign up to The Daily H, a free newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.