Man Determined to Recover $700M Bitcoin Buried in Landfill Plans to Buy the Site

James Howells from Newport, Wales, seeks to reclaim his lost Bitcoin fortune before the landfill closes

James Howells, a resident of Newport, Wales, claims his hard drive containing a staggering $700 million Bitcoin fortune was accidentally thrown away by his ex-girlfriend back in 2013. The hard drive, which holds the private keys to his cryptocurrency, reportedly ended up in a landfill at Newport's Docks Way site. After years of legal battles and failed attempts to gain access to the site, Howells is now exploring an extraordinary solution: purchasing the entire landfill to retrieve his lost fortune.

Initially, Howells attempted to sue the Newport City Council to gain legal access to search the landfill. However, his case was dismissed in January by Judge Keyser KC, who ruled that there were no "reasonable grounds" for a full trial. The judge also noted that the hard drive is considered the property of the landfill site. This decision left Howells frustrated, as he believed he never had the opportunity to fully present his case. "The case being struck out at the earliest hearing doesn't even give me the opportunity to explain myself or an opportunity for justice in any shape or form," Howells told the BBC. "There was so much more that could have been explained in a full trial, and that's what I was expecting."

Despite the legal setback, Howells remains undeterred. The Newport City Council has announced plans to close the landfill during the 2025-26 financial year to transform the area into a solar farm. This development has reignited Howells’ determination. He revealed that he has been in discussions with investment partners and is seriously considering purchasing the landfill outright. "I would be potentially interested in purchasing the landfill site," Howells said in an interview with the BBC. "I have discussed this option recently with investment partners, and it is very much on the table."

The scale of the search is daunting. The landfill contains approximately 1.4 million tonnes of waste, and Howells estimates that his hard drive could be buried within an area holding around 100,000 tonnes of rubbish. Despite these overwhelming odds, he remains optimistic that with the right resources and technology, the hard drive can be found intact.

Adding to Howells’ frustration is the timing of the council's decision to close the landfill. He pointed out the irony of the council previously arguing in court that allowing him to search the site would cause significant disruption to the local community, only to announce its closure shortly after his case was dismissed. "It's a surprise, especially since it claimed at the High Court that closing the landfill to allow me to search would have a huge detrimental impact on the people of Newport, whilst at the same time they were planning to close the landfill anyway," he remarked.

Howells’ Bitcoin saga began in 2009 when he successfully mined the cryptocurrency during its early days, long before it became a global financial phenomenon. Unfortunately, he forgot about his digital treasure until years later, by which time the hard drive had been discarded. His story has since become a cautionary tale in the world of cryptocurrency, highlighting the importance of secure storage and the irreversible nature of lost private keys.

As the deadline for the landfill's closure approaches, Howells remains committed to reclaiming his lost fortune. Whether through legal channels, financial negotiations, or outright purchase, his determination to recover his $700 million in Bitcoin continues to capture public attention, reflecting both the extraordinary value of cryptocurrency and the lengths individuals will go to recover their digital wealth.