
James Howells, a Welsh IT engineer, has officially lost his decade-long legal battle to recover a hard drive holding 8,000 Bitcoins, now valued at $750 million. A judge dismissed his lawsuit against Newport City Council, ending his efforts to search a landfill for the discarded device.
In 2013, Howells mistakenly threw away the hard drive when Bitcoin’s value was negligible. As the cryptocurrency skyrocketed in value, Howells repeatedly sought permission to excavate the Newport landfill where he believes the drive is buried. Despite offering to fully fund the recovery operation and share 25% of the potential fortune with the council and local community, his request was continually denied.
Newport City Council cited environmental and safety concerns, arguing that excavating the landfill, which contains 1.4 million tons of waste, posed significant risks. Howells claimed he had pinpointed the hard drive’s location to a 100,000-ton section but was still blocked from proceeding.
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
Judge Keyser KC ruled against Howells, stating that his claim had “no reasonable grounds” and no realistic chance of success. The court sided with the council’s argument that it owns the landfill contents, including the hard drive, solidifying their authority to refuse excavation.
So you thought you had a bad day? It could always be worse. For instance:
HISTORY: 🟠 James Howells threw away $750 million worth of #bitcoin accidentally a decade ago.
He has been trying to recover the hard drive from a landfill ever since.
A judge has recently rejected his… pic.twitter.com/jUBh7gN9iN
— Alan Knitowski ∞/21M (@alanknit) January 12, 2025
Reacting to the decision, Howells expressed deep frustration, calling the ruling a “kick in the teeth.” He criticized the legal process for denying him the opportunity to fully present his recovery plan in court. “There was so much more I could have explained in a full trial,” he said.
Over the years, Howells assembled a team of data recovery specialists and environmental experts to support his plan. However, the environmental risks and legal challenges ultimately proved insurmountable.
This ruling marks the end of one of the most high-profile stories in cryptocurrency history. Howells’ lost fortune remains buried in the landfill.