You’ve probably heard of the man who has been searching for his lost hard drive full of Bitcoin (BTC) in a landfill for years. He is James Howells from Newport, Wales, who is convinced that his lost Bitcoin fortune is in a landfill. Despite years of legal battles, he is not giving up. Now the story takes an unexpected turn.
Bitcoin assets accidentally disposed of
Howells, a computer expert, accidentally lost a hard drive containing a Bitcoin wallet now valued at an estimated £600 million in 2013. Since then, he has been trying various ways to gain access to the dump in an attempt to recover his lost fortune.
The hard drive ended up in the city’s landfill in Newport. When Howells realized his mistake, he asked the city council for permission to search for the hard drive, but his request was repeatedly denied. Over the years, he has taken several legal actions and even offered to share some of the proceeds with the city – but to no avail.
Judge dismisses his lawsuit
Last month, Howells suffered a legal defeat in the Supreme Court in an attempt to force the city council to give him access to the dump. The court ruled that once the hard drive landed in the landfill, it automatically became the property of the city.
As if that wasn’t enough of a setback, Newport City Council announced that the dump will soon be permanently capped and closed. This would reduce the chances of ever finding the Bitcoin hard drive to virtually zero. In fact, there are already plans to build a solar farm on the site.
Howells wants to buy the landfill
The impending closure of the landfill came as a surprise to Howells. He says it is ironic that the city council argued in court that closing the landfill would have a significant impact on local residents and is now going ahead with it anyway.
That’s why Howells is considering a radical measure: he wants to buy the entire landfill. He has already discussed this plan with investment partners and sees it as a serious option. Whether this plan is feasible, however, remains to be seen.
Newport City Council has consistently rejected Howells’ requests over the years and has given no indication that they are willing to sell the landfill. Meanwhile, time is running out and it is becoming increasingly unlikely that the Bitcoin fortune will ever be recovered. Yet Howells seems determined to continue his search – at any cost
