The Man Who Accidentally Threw Away $750 Million in Bitcoin

In 2009, James Howells, a British IT worker, mined over 7,500 Bitcoins, which were then worth nearly nothing. However, as the value of Bitcoin skyrocketed, his stash became worth over $700 million. Unfortunately, Howells accidentally threw the hard drive containing the key to his Bitcoin fortune in the trash.

A Decade-Long Quest

Howells has been trying to recover his lost fortune for over a decade. He has come up with various schemes, including buying the landfill where he thinks the hard drive is buried and digging it up. In 2017, he pleaded with the city to allow him to dig and officials said no, citing safety concerns and the risk of inciting treasure hunters.

Previous Attempts

In 2021, Howells offered the city 25 percent of the recovered Bitcoin, but they rejected the offer. In 2022, he came up with a bizarre scheme involving sending in Boston Dynamics robot dogs to do the digging. The city rejected that proposal as well.

The Latest Attempt

In 2022, Howells tried to turn the landfill into a mining facility using AI and robot dogs. However, this attempt also failed. Finally, he decided to sue the city of Newport for the right to go traipsing around in the landfill like a really gross, poop-encrusted Indiana Jones.

A Judge’s Ruling

A judge recently put the kibosh on Howells’ lawsuit, ruling that the case had "no realistic prospect of succeeding." Howells has taken to Twitter to express his disappointment, saying "I lost, they won. Might appeal."

The Future of the Landfill

The city is still considering Howells’ proposal to buy the landfill and dig up the hard drive. If the city agrees, Howells and his investors will have the opportunity to recover their lost fortune. However, the excavation process would be risky and costly, and there are serious ecological dangers to haphazardly digging up a landfill.

Conclusion

The story of James Howells and his lost Bitcoin fortune is a bizarre and fascinating tale of one man’s quest for wealth. While it’s unclear what the future holds, one thing is certain: this is a story that will continue to unfold in the coming weeks and months.