🇬🇧 Meet the Man Who Lost—and Gave Up on—$742 Million in Bitcoin

After 12 years of failed attempts, endless legal battles, and some wild digging proposals, James Howells—the British IT worker who accidentally threw away a hard drive containing 7,500 BTC back in 2013—has officially ended his search.

🚮 The $742M Mistake:

In 2013, Howells mistakenly tossed an old hard drive into the trash. At the time, Bitcoin was barely worth $100. Fast forward to today, and that same stash is worth over $742 million. 😱

Despite raising funds and proposing robot dogs, AI drones, and even offering Newport city a portion of the fortune if they let him excavate the landfill—it’s now over. He’s accepted that the treasure hunt is done. ❌

Why Did He Stop?

City council blocks, legal restrictions, and environmental concerns made the dig near impossible. It wasn’t just about finding the hard drive—it was about proving ownership, recovering the data (if still intact), and winning over city bureaucracy.

“It’s soul-crushing… but I’ve made peace with it,” said Howells.

💬 Crypto Twitter Reacts:

• “The world’s most expensive delete button.”

• “Newport is sitting on a digital gold mine and doesn’t even care.”

• “He better not check the BTC chart ever again.”

🚀 The Lesson?

Always back up your wallet, don’t throw out random drives, and maybe… just maybe, don’t keep millions in crypto on one device.

⸻

📢 Would you have given up?

💬 Drop your thoughts below. #bitcoin #CryptoNews #LostBTC #JamesHowells #MarketPullback