In a desperate bid to recover his lost fortune, a computer expert is planning to purchase an entire landfill in South Wales, where he believes his hard drive containing 8,000 Bitcoin, worth a staggering $775 million (nearly Rs 6,500 crores), is buried. According to the Guardian, James Howells’ desperate attempt comes after a 12-year search and a recent high court defeat, which denied him permission to search the landfill.

With the council announcing plans to close and cap the site, and even securing permission for a solar farm on part of the land, Howells’ chances of recovering his lost Bitcoin seemed all but lost. However, by buying the landfill, he hopes to gain access to the site and finally retrieve his prized hard drive.

‘It was quite a surprise to hear of the landfill’s closure. It [the council] claimed at the high court that closing the landfill to allow me to search would have a huge detrimental impact on the people of Newport, whilst at the same time they were planning to close the landfill anyway,” he said.

“I expected it would be closed in the coming years because it’s 80/90% full – but didn’t expect its closure so soon. If Newport City Council would be willing, I would potentially be interested in purchasing the landfill site ‘as is’ and have discussed this option with investment partners and it is something that is very much on the table,” he added. 

James Howells threw away $750 million of bitcoin accidentally a decade ago and has been trying to recover the hard drive from a landfill ever since. Today, a judge has rejected his latest attempt to search through 110,000 tons of garbage for his digital gold. pic.twitter.com/douIDzDdQO

— Documenting ₿itcoin (@DocumentingBTC) January 11, 2025

What exactly happened?

James Howell’s multimillion-dollar misfortune began in 2013 when his partner mistakenly threw away a hard drive containing the keys to his Bitcoin wallet. Now buried under 100,000 tonnes of waste in a Newport landfill, the hard drive remains inaccessible despite its growing value.  

Halfina Eddy-Evans, the mother of Howells’ two teenage sons, told Daily Mail that nearly a decade ago, she took the hard drive to a landfill in Newport, Wales, as part of a cleanup at Howells’ request. “Yes, I threw away his rubbish. He asked me to,” she explained. “I had no idea what was inside. Losing it wasn’t my fault.”  

A judge has halted a man’s legal bid to recover his 600 million pounds (nearly $750 million) Bitcoin fortune, lost in a landfill 10 years ago. James Howells, 39, initiated the lawsuit after discarding the hard drive containing his cryptocurrency in Newport, Wales, in 2013, according to the BBC.

Since his misfortune, Howells has proposed fully funding the excavation process and offering 25% of the recovered Bitcoin to the Newport City Council. 

However, the council rejected his proposal, sparking a decade-long effort by Howells to recover his lost cryptocurrency.

On Thursday, it was reported that Circuit Commercial Judge for Wales, Judge Keyser, dismissed Howells’ lawsuit seeking permission to conduct the excavation.

In his ruling, Judge Keyser stated that Howells had “no reasonable grounds” for filing the claim and that there was “no realistic prospect” of success if the case proceeded to trial. 

“The particulars of the claim do not demonstrate any reasonable grounds for bringing this case. Additionally, the claim has no realistic prospect of success at trial, nor is there any compelling reason for it to proceed to trial,” Keyser explained.

The judge further upheld the council’s argument that it owned the hard drive, ruling that Howells had no entitlement to it. 

“In my judgment, the council’s argument is correct and constitutes a complete defence to the claims,” he concluded.

Howells expressed his disappointment with the ruling, telling the British outlet that he felt “very upset” and likened the decision to a “kick in the teeth.”

“The case being struck out at the earliest hearing denies me the chance to explain myself or seek justice in any form,” he said. 

“There was so much more I could have presented in a full trial, and that’s what I had anticipated.”

He also noted his persistent efforts to engage with the Newport City Council over the past 12 years. 

“I’ve tried every possible way to communicate with the council,” he said. “It’s not about greed-I’m willing to share the proceeds- but no one in a position of power is willing to have a proper conversation with me.”

“This ruling has taken everything from me and left me with nothing,” he added. 

“It’s the great British injustice system at work once again.”