Save over 40% when you secure your tickets today to TNW Conference 💥 Prices will increase on November 22 →

This article was published on January 20, 2012

Swizz Beatz not indicted by DoJ because he isn’t really the CEO of Megaupload


Swizz Beatz not indicted by DoJ because he isn’t really the CEO of Megaupload

One of the questions that a lot of people had during the shutdown of Megaupload and following arrests were, why wasn’t its CEO Swizz Beatz included in the indictments?

We’ve now found out that it’s because he really isn’t the CEO of Megaupload as many publications were reporting before. According to a report by Venturebeat, Kasseem Dean aka Swizz Beatz wasn’t included in the indictment because Megaupload’s lawyer, Ira Rothken, says that he is not the CEO:

To my knowledge, Swizz Beatz was never involved in any meaningful way. He was negotiating to become the CEO, but it was never official.

In the 72-page indictment made public by the Department of Justice, Swizz Beatz was nowhere to be found. Among those named and arrested were the site’s co-founder Kim Dotcom.

There are reports of Megaupload attempting to get back online, but many are wary that these could just be credit card phishing scams.

The 💜 of EU tech

The latest rumblings from the EU tech scene, a story from our wise ol' founder Boris, and some questionable AI art. It's free, every week, in your inbox. Sign up now!

While it’s not known what his official title was within the organization, Swizz Beatz had a lot to do with making the site public by getting friends like P Diddy, Kim Kardashian, and his wife Alicia Keyes to promote Megaupload.

According to Megaupload’s lawyer, the site aims to win the case and get itself back online:

Megaupload thinks these allegations lack merit and will vigorously defend against these criminal claims

Get the TNW newsletter

Get the most important tech news in your inbox each week.