James Howells, a 39-year-old from the UK, is suing Newport City Council for $650 million after they refused to allow him to excavate a landfill where he believes his lost hard drive containing 8,000 Bitcoin is located. The hard drive, which he accidentally threw away in 2013 during an office clear-out, now holds an estimated value of $480 million based on current Bitcoin prices of around $60,000 per coin.
Howells has made multiple attempts to convince the council to let him dig up the landfill to recover the drive, but they have consistently denied his requests, citing the potential environmental damage and complications such a project would cause. Despite the setbacks, Howells remains determined, even enlisting investors and experts to help him pinpoint the exact location of the hard drive within the landfill, and now plans to take the matter to court.
The council, however, has remained firm in their refusal, labeling Howells’ legal claim as “fundamentally weak” and arguing that the excavation would cause severe environmental harm. They also stressed that their resources could be better spent elsewhere, rather than continuously addressing Howells’ demands and claims.
Howells is undeterred, stating that he is prepared to take his fight all the way to the UK’s Supreme Court if necessary. He has emphasized that he is focused solely on retrieving the hard drive and recovering the massive fortune in cryptocurrency that was mistakenly discarded over a decade ago.
