Man Who Lost $700M in Bitcoin Considers Buying Landfill to Retrieve It
James Howells, an IT worker from Newport, Wales, is still fighting to recover a lost fortune of 8,000 Bitcoins—worth around $700 million today. In 2013, he mistakenly discarded a hard drive containing the digital fortune, which ended up in a local landfill.
For years, Howells has attempted to gain permission from Newport City Council to excavate the landfill, but his requests have been repeatedly denied. Now, with the landfill set to be closed and capped, he is considering an extreme measure—buying the entire site himself to continue the search.
The council, however, maintains that digging up the landfill poses environmental risks and logistical challenges. Despite this, Howells remains determined, exploring legal and financial avenues to reclaim what could be one of the most valuable lost-and-found items in history.
