The $750 Million Mistake Buried Beneath a Landfill 💸🗑️
Back in the summer of 2013, Welsh IT engineer James Howells made a split-second decision that would haunt him for over a decade. While cleaning out his workspace, he tossed an old hard drive into a trash bag — unaware that it was labeled “BTC Backup.” Inside? A digital fortune: 8,000 bitcoins.
At the time, those coins were worth less than £500,000, and Bitcoin was still a fringe curiosity. But as the crypto revolution gained momentum, the value of those lost coins skyrocketed. Today, they’re estimated to be worth around $750 million.
The hard drive didn’t just vanish — it was buried beneath 200,000 tons of waste in the Newport landfill in Wales. And so began one of the most bizarre treasure hunts in tech history: a 12-year quest to recover a tiny piece of hardware that could unlock a life-changing fortune.
Despite numerous proposals, funding attempts, and even plans involving AI-powered drones and robotic excavation, local authorities have consistently denied permission to dig. Environmental concerns and logistical nightmares have kept the drive buried — and the bitcoins trapped in digital limbo.
James Howells still hasn’t given up. For him, it’s not just about the money — it’s about redemption, closure, and proving that even the most costly mistakes might still be reversible.
#BTC
Back in the summer of 2013, Welsh IT engineer James Howells made a split-second decision that would haunt him for over a decade. While cleaning out his workspace, he tossed an old hard drive into a trash bag — unaware that it was labeled “BTC Backup.” Inside? A digital fortune: 8,000 bitcoins.
At the time, those coins were worth less than £500,000, and Bitcoin was still a fringe curiosity. But as the crypto revolution gained momentum, the value of those lost coins skyrocketed. Today, they’re estimated to be worth around $750 million.
The hard drive didn’t just vanish — it was buried beneath 200,000 tons of waste in the Newport landfill in Wales. And so began one of the most bizarre treasure hunts in tech history: a 12-year quest to recover a tiny piece of hardware that could unlock a life-changing fortune.
Despite numerous proposals, funding attempts, and even plans involving AI-powered drones and robotic excavation, local authorities have consistently denied permission to dig. Environmental concerns and logistical nightmares have kept the drive buried — and the bitcoins trapped in digital limbo.
James Howells still hasn’t given up. For him, it’s not just about the money — it’s about redemption, closure, and proving that even the most costly mistakes might still be reversible.
#BTC
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