James Howells, a computer engineer from Newport, is considering purchasing an entire landfill in the latest attempt to recover a hard drive containing 8,000 Bitcoin (BTC).
The cryptocurrency stash was accidentally discarded in 2013 when Howells’ ex-girlfriend mistakenly threw away the drive.
James Howells’ Bid to Save Bitcoin Fortune
Howells has spent the past 12 years attempting to secure permission to search the Newport landfill on Docks Way. He is convinced that his lost cryptocurrency fortune is buried there.
The landfill is expected to close during the 2025-26 financial year.
“The council planning on closing the landfill so soon is quite a surprise, especially since it claimed at the High Court that closing the landfill to allow me to search would have a huge detrimental impact on the people of Newport, whilst at the same time they were planning to close the landfill anyway,” Howells said in an interview.
The landfill site contains over 1.4 million tonnes of waste. According to Howells’ estimates, his hard drive is buried within an area of approximately 100,000 tonnes. With its impending closure, he sees an opportunity to gain ownership of the land.
“I would be potentially interested in purchasing the landfill site,” he stated.
He also confirmed that he recently discussed this option with his investment partners and that it remains a viable possibility.
Acquiring the site could provide Howells the legal leverage to excavate and search for his lost Bitcoin. His previous repeated appeals to Newport City Council have been consistently denied due to environmental concerns.
Moreover, in a recent legal dispute, Howells pursued either the right to excavate the site or a compensation payout of £495 million.
However, the city council challenged his claim and urged the High Court to dismiss the case. Judge Keyser KC ruled against Howells, determining that his case had “no realistic prospect” of succeeding in a full trial. Nonetheless, owning the landfill could remove some of the bureaucratic hurdles.
In addition to considering a purchase, Howells plans to appeal Judge Keyser’s decision to strike down his case.
“I lost, they won. Might appeal. See what happens,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Since 2013, Bitcoin has experienced tremendous growth. Furthermore, based on estimates, the largest cryptocurrency is on track for further highs. At current market prices, Howells’ lost Bitcoin would be worth over £630 million ($782 million).
“James Howells is destined to live with a nightmare that repeats itself every day: watching the value of his wallet grow exponentially, without ever being able to reclaim it. A fortune that could have been his, but was buried forever because of one fatal mistake,” a user wrote on X.
For Howells, the fight continues. Whether purchasing the landfill will finally give him the chance to retrieve his lost Bitcoin remains to be seen.
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