
James Howells, an IT engineer from Newport, Wales, has lost his final chance to recover a hard drive containing 8,000 Bitcoins now worth an estimated $750 million. A judge dismissed his lawsuit against the Newport City Council, ending his decade-long quest to search a landfill where the hard drive was accidentally discarded in 2013.
Howells, an early Bitcoin investor, mistakenly threw away the hard drive when Bitcoin held little value. As the cryptocurrency’s price skyrocketed, he repeatedly sought permission to excavate the landfill, offering to cover all costs and share a portion of the recovered fortune with the council and local community.
Despite his proposals, the Newport City Council consistently rejected his requests, citing environmental concerns and the logistical challenges of sifting through 1.4 million tons of waste. Howells argued he had identified the hard drive’s location within a 100,000-ton section of the landfill, but the council refused to allow the search.
James Howells threw away $750 million of bitcoin accidentally a decade ago and has been trying to recover the hard drive from a landfill ever since. Today, a judge has rejected his latest attempt to search through 110,000 tons of garbage for his digital gold. pic.twitter.com/douIDzDdQO
— Documenting ₿itcoin 📄 (@DocumentingBTC) January 11, 2025
Judge Keyser KC ruled that Howells had “no reasonable grounds” for his claim and determined that pursuing the case would have no realistic chance of success. The judge also supported the council’s argument that it owns all landfill contents, including the hard drive.
So you thought you had a bad day? It could always be worse. For instance:
HISTORY: 🟠 James Howells threw away $750 million worth of #bitcoin accidentally a decade ago.
He has been trying to recover the hard drive from a landfill ever since.
A judge has recently rejected his… pic.twitter.com/jUBh7gN9iN
— Alan Knitowski ∞/21M (@alanknit) January 12, 2025
Howells reacted with disappointment, calling the ruling a “kick in the teeth.” He criticized the court for not allowing his case to proceed to trial, where he could have fully presented his recovery plan. “This ruling has taken everything from me and left me with nothing,” Howells said.
Throughout the years, Howells assembled a team of experts and invested significant resources in his efforts to recover the hard drive. His case underscores the high risks associated with digital assets and the permanent consequences of losing cryptocurrency.