In a 12-year-long pursuit, British IT worker James Howells is now considering buying an entire landfill in Newport, South Wales, to search for a lost hard drive containing Bitcoin worth ₹6,500 crore (£600 million).
How Did He Lose the Bitcoin?
The saga began in 2013 when Howells, who had mined thousands of Bitcoins, accidentally discarded the hard drive storing his Bitcoin wallet. According to his account, the drive was mistakenly thrown out with household trash by his then-partner and subsequently ended up in Newport’s landfill.
Attempts to Retrieve the Hard Drive
Since realizing his loss, Howells has:
- Repeatedly requested permission from Newport City Council to excavate the landfill.
- Offered to share a portion of the recovered Bitcoin with the council.
- Proposed using AI-powered robots and environmental safeguards to search the site efficiently.
However, the council refused, asserting that once the waste entered the landfill, it became their property.
Recent Legal Setback
Last month, Howells lost a court case that sought to force the Newport City Council to allow him access to search the site. Shortly after, the council announced plans to permanently close and cap the landfill—an action that would end any possibility of retrieving the lost Bitcoin. They plan to build a solar farm on part of the landfill.
Howells’ New Plan: Buying the Landfill
In response to the closure, Howells is now exploring the possibility of purchasing the landfill site outright. He has engaged investment partners to support this effort and believes this move could allow him to continue the search on his own terms.
“It was quite a surprise,” Howells stated, referring to the sudden closure of the landfill. "The council argued in court that allowing me to search would negatively impact the people of Newport, yet now they are closing it themselves."
While the city council has not responded to his new proposal, Howells remains determined to recover his lost Bitcoin fortune.
