Internet mogul Kim Dotcom has lost his long-running battle to prevent extradition from New Zealand to the United States. A representative for New Zealand Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith confirmed that he signed an extradition order for Mr Dotcom on Thursday. US authorities claim he gained his fortune through digital piracy on the now-defunct file-sharing website Megaupload, which he created in 2005.

Mr Dotcom has stated that he has no control over what users submit to the site. The entrepreneur, who was born in Germany and now lives in New Zealand, describes himself as a “internet freedom fighter”.

His legal battle against removal began in 2012, when he was caught in a spectacular FBI raid on his Auckland property. He has now filed many failed appeals against extradition in New Zealand courts. Mr Dotcom is facing many criminal allegations in the United States, including copyright infringement, money laundering, and racketeering, and if convicted, he may face a significant prison sentence.

According to US authorities, Mr Dotcom and three other Megaupload executives caused more than $500 million in losses for film studios and music producers. At its peak, Megaupload was the 13th most popular website on the internet, accounting for 4% of global online traffic. Mr. Dotcom earned millions of dollars from selling advertising and premium subscriptions. Users frequently shared stolen films and music on the platform, but Mr Dotcom has denied encouraging it. In a social media post on Tuesday, he stated, “The obedient US colony in the South Pacific just decided to extradite me for what users uploaded to Megaupload,” referring to the extradition order.