James Howells' decade-long quest to recover his lost bitcoin fortune, buried in a Newport landfill, faces a devastating blow as the council announces plans to close the site.
James Howells, a computer expert, has been battling for a decade to recover a £600 million bitcoin fortune he believes is buried in a council dump in Newport, Wales. In 2013, Howells accidentally discarded a hard drive containing his bitcoin wallet in a black bag. His then-partner mistakenly took the bag to the local landfill, believing it to be rubbish. Howells quickly realized his mistake and has been trying ever since to convince the Newport city council to allow him to search the site.
He even offered to share the potential riches with the council, but his pleas have been denied. The council has consistently resisted Howells' attempts, arguing that the hard drive became their property once it entered the landfill. In a January 2023 ruling, Judge Keyser KC upheld the council's position, stating that Howells was not entitled to try and retrieve the hard drive. This legal setback came as a blow to Howells, who had meticulously planned a search operation and even enlisted the help of specialists.Adding to his frustration, the council recently announced plans to close and cap the landfill site, effectively ending any remaining hope of recovering the lost bitcoins. The site is slated to be transformed into a solar farm, further cementing the closure. Howells expressed disappointment at the news, stating that the council had previously claimed closing the landfill to facilitate his search would have a detrimental impact on the people of Newport. He also revealed that he is exploring the possibility of purchasing the landfill site as it stands, though this option remains uncertain. Howells' story serves as a stark reminder of the irreversible consequences of accidental data loss in the digital age, particularly in the volatile and high-value world of cryptocurrencies
Bitcoin Landfill Data Loss Cryptocurrency Newport City Council
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