One of the men who was facing extradition with Megaupload entrepreneur Kim Dotcom has died.
Megaupload executive Finn Batato leaves court in 2015 after a judge ruled that Internet mogul Kim Dotcom and three other defendants are eligible for extradition to the US, Photo: AFP
Finn Batato, 49, was the company's former marketing director and was suffering from terminal cancer.
The US dropped extradition proceedings against him last year.
Kim Dotcom shared the news of his best friend's death on Twitter today.
In a blog post, he said his friend was a great family man.
"His top priority in life was the happiness of the people he cared about. He was a wonderful host who loved to cook for his friends and family. His Spaghetti Bolognese was legendary," Dotcom wrote.
"Finn had the ability to transform worries into hope with his endless optimism and positivity. Finn's untimely death is a tragic and painful loss for everyone who knew him. He was such a positive force in our lives."
Dotcom said it was the beginning of the end for Batato when he was charged for copyright infringement by the US government.
He said Batato's life was stolen from him, but he suffered quietly. "He never wanted to burden anyone."
Batato leaves behind a wife and three young children, including a young baby.