Desperate Miner Considers Buying Landfill to Recover Lost Bitcoin Landfill Fortune
The saga of James Howells, the British computer engineer who accidentally discarded a hard drive containing 8,000 Bitcoins, takes an even more dramatic turn: he’s now considering buying the entire landfill site where his digital fortune lies buried. This Bitcoin landfill case has captured the attention of the crypto world and beyond, highlighting the incredible value that can be lost and the lengths people will go to recover it.
The story began back in 2013 when Howells’ former girlfriend unknowingly threw away the hard drive. Since then, the value of those 8,000 Bitcoins has skyrocketed to an astonishing £620 million, approximately $768 million USD. This Bitcoin landfill treasure hunt has driven Howells to exhaust nearly every possible avenue to convince the Newport City Council to allow him to search the Docks Way landfill.
His attempts haven’t been without their hurdles. A previous legal action seeking access to the landfill or £495 million in damages was unsuccessful, leaving Howells with few options. Now, he’s exploring the bold move of acquiring the landfill itself. “I would be potentially interested in acquiring the landfill site,” he recently stated, revealing ongoing discussions with investment partners.
The sheer scale of the challenge is daunting. The landfill contains over 1.4 million tonnes of refuse, with Howells estimating that the hard drive is buried somewhere within a 100,000-tonne area. Despite the immense task, he remains confident that data retrieval is still possible. He is convinced that he can turn this Bitcoin landfill dream into a reality.
Newport City Council, however, has consistently refused permission for a search, citing significant concerns about cost, environmental impact, and the potential for illegal activity from “treasure hunters” descending upon the site. The council also maintains that any attempt to search the landfill would be against the law. The council also has plans to close the landfill in the near future, with future plans to build a solar energy facility on the site to power its refuse collection vehicles.
Howells has attempted to incentivize the council with offers, including a share of the potential proceeds from the recovered Bitcoin. In January 2021, he offered 25% of the then-estimated £200 million value, along with a proposal to donate £52.5 million to the 316,000 residents of Newport. The council declined, stating that the offer breached licensing regulations.
Undeterred, Howells remains optimistic. He believes the protective casing around the hard drive has kept it functional, and he has secured financial backing from a hedge fund that is willing to split the recovered proceeds 50/50. He plans to use council waste records to narrow down the search area within the Bitcoin landfill. After pinpointing the hard drive’s location, a team of data recovery specialists would be brought in to attempt retrieval of the Bitcoin. Howells estimates the excavation and recovery operation would cost millions of pounds, budgeting £5 million for a 9–12 month endeavor.
The attempted recovery of this missing Bitcoin from the landfill is a fascinating and unique undertaking. The risks are high, but the potential reward is enormous. It’s a story of persistence, technological optimism, and the enduring allure of cryptocurrency fortunes. It is a real-life digital treasure hunt with this Bitcoin landfill.
