$BTC

🇬🇧 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—a British IT worker who accidentally threw away a hard drive containing 7,500 BTC in 2013—has officially ended his search.

🚮 The $742 Million Mistake:

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

Despite raising funds and proposing robot dogs, AI drones, and even offering the city of Newport part of his wealth if they let him dig in the landfill—it is now over. He has accepted that the treasure hunt is done. ❌

Why Did He Stop?

City council blocks, legal restrictions, and environmental concerns made digging nearly impossible. It's not just about finding the hard drive—it's about proving ownership, recovering data (if it's still intact), and navigating city bureaucracy.

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

💬 Crypto Twitter Reactions:

• "The most expensive delete button in the world."

• "Newport is sitting on a digital goldmine and doesn’t even care."

• "He better not check the BTC charts again."

🚀 Lesson?

Always back up your wallet, don't throw drives away randomly, and maybe… just maybe, don't store millions in crypto on one device.

⸻

📢 Would you give up?

💬 Share your thoughts below.