The UK government plans to shut down and seal off a Newport landfill, where a hard drive containing 7,500 BTC (worth approximately $738 million at today’s prices) was discarded in 2013. However, the drive’s owner, James Howells, is not giving up. He aims to buy part of the landfill to continue his search, according to BBC.
Landfill to Be Closed for Environmental Reasons, Not for Bitcoin
According to the Newport City Council, the landfill has been in operation since the early 2000s and is nearing the end of its lifespan. Authorities plan to shut it down between 2025 and 2026 and replace it with a solar power plant, which will provide electricity for eco-friendly electric garbage trucks.
“The fact that the council plans to close the landfill so soon came as a huge surprise to me—especially since the High Court had previously argued that shutting it down for my search would have a major negative impact on Newport residents. And yet, they were planning to close it anyway,” Howells stated.
Attempt to Sue for £495 Million Fails
In December 2023, Howells filed a lawsuit demanding either permission to search the landfill or £495 million in compensation. However, the court rejected his claim. The judge ruled that his proposal to donate 10% of the recovered BTC to the local community could be interpreted as attempting to bribe officials. In January 2024, the case was officially dismissed.
“I wasn’t even given a chance to present my case properly in a full trial. A lot more could have been explained in a full hearing, and that’s exactly what I expected,” Howells said.
He also noted that he has been battling the Newport City Council for 12 years, trying every possible approach, including offers to share part of the recovered funds.
“This decision has taken everything away from me and left me with nothing. Once again, the great British system of injustice strikes,” he added.
From AI to Robots: How Howells Has Tried to Find His Hard Drive
Over the years, Howells has explored various methods to locate his missing hard drive. In 2021, he suggested using artificial intelligence to analyze aerial photos of the landfill. In 2022, he planned to deploy Boston Dynamics’ Spot robot dogs, but the biggest obstacle remained: he does not have permission to excavate the site.
Now, after the court’s refusal, he is considering two options:
- Buying the landfill site once it’s shut down. He claims to have secured backing from an unnamed hedge fund willing to finance the purchase.
- Launching a crypto project that would involve NFTs or utility tokens to fund the search for his hard drive.
Howells is confident that the crypto community will support him.
Not the Only Case of Lost BTC
Howells’ story is far from the only crypto loss incident. For example, in November 2024, a popular Brazilian YouTuber and pianist lost a note containing the seed phrase to his Bitcoin wallet, which held 4 BTC—worth approximately $400,000 at the time.
The blockchain does not forgive mistakes, and if Howells is unable to recover his hard drive, his 7,500 BTC may remain lost forever.