Kim And Elizabeth Have Now Broken Up

Kim Dotcom says he has ended his relationship with 21-year-old Auckland woman Elizabeth Donnelly, after the whirlwind romance was revealed on Tuesday.

And the 42-year-old internet millionaire is blaming the media for the break-up, saying the attention was "unacceptable" and her life would be better without him.

In a post on his Twitter page, Dotcom informed his followers of the breakup. 

About Elizabeth and me :-( pic.twitter.com/3S4M9Mxeku

— Kim Dotcom (@KimDotcom) February 3, 2016

"Elizabeth and I have ended our romance. It is unacceptable how the media/public is treating her," he told his almost 480,000 followers.

"She's a good person and shouldn't be subject to shaming or abuse. I can't accept her getting hurt and it is better for her without me."

The announcement came after Dotcom told the Herald on Tuesday that he and Ms Donnelly were head over heels in love. "I'm in love. We're in love. This is not some fling - this is serious," a smitten Dotcom said.

Despite the 21-year age gap, the couple were happy, he said, and his new love had already moved into the tycoon's rented waterfront penthouse apartment in downtown Auckland.

Ms Donnelly, who is a third year business and law student at Auckland University of Technology, had only ended her previous relationship, with Auckland socialite and businessman Mark Harrison, little over a week ago.

She said she started falling for Dotcom after they started exchanging text messages on Instagram eight weeks ago.

Dotcom said on Tuesday they were keen on each other from the start but he was prepared to give her time to choose between him and her then boyfriend, and even encouraged her to go on holiday with Harrison earlier this year. She called quits on the relationship when she returned and felt confident that it was over.

Mr Harrison had refused to comment on his relationship when contacted by the Herald yesterday.

- NZ Herald