Steve Wozniak visits with MegaUpload's Kim DotCom
The Apple cofounder stopped in to visit Kim DotCom, the accused video pirate, on a recent trip to New Zealand. See the photo.
Kim DotCom has appeared to receive endorsements from a long list of celebrities, including Kim Kardashian, Alicia Keys and Will.i.am from the Black Eyed Peas. Now, add the name Steve Wozniak.
During a trip to New Zealand last month, Wozniak stopped by DotCom's home outside Auckland and took several photographs with the MegaUpload founder who is also the man accused by the United States of criminal copyright violations, money laundering and wire fraud. The United States is trying to extradite DotCom and a hearing in New Zealand to decide the matter is scheduled for August.
Woz was down under to give a series of lectures, according to news reports.
DotCom discussed the meeting in a Twitter post and thanked Woz for supporting the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a group that advocates for tech companies and Internet users.
"MegaWoz. Great guy & supporter of EFF," DotCom wrote from @KimDotcom. "EFF is helping to give Mega users their files back. Thanks Woz & EFF."
Most of the other celebs previously mentioned took part in a music video DotCom produced. The connections to the famous have only helped to build DotCom's reputation for flamboyance. Before he founded MegaUpload, DotCom was a well-known street racer and hacker. Woz too did some hacking before helping found Apple with Steve Jobs and Ronald Wayne.
One of the first products that Wozniak and Jobs sold was a "blue box" Wozniak designed that recreated the tones which controlled telephone networks and enabled users to make free long-distance calls.