In a modern tale of fortune lost and found, James Howells, 39, is taking Newport City Council to court, seeking $646 million in damages after losing a hard drive containing 8,000 Bitcoin. Howells accidentally threw out the drive in 2013 during a household clear-out, mistaking it for an identical empty one. At the time, Bitcoin’s value was relatively low, but with the cryptocurrency’s meteoric rise, the hard drive’s contents are now worth approximately $11.7 million.
A Costly Mistake
Howells, an IT worker and early Bitcoin enthusiast, had carefully stored his cryptocurrency on a hard drive, only to discard it during a routine decluttering exercise. Since realizing the mistake, Howells has repeatedly pleaded with Newport City Council to grant him permission to excavate the landfill where the drive was likely disposed of. Despite multiple proposals and promises of sharing 30% of the recovered Bitcoin with the council, the council has refused his requests, citing environmental and logistical concerns.
Environmental Hurdles and Legal Stakes
The landfill site where the hard drive is believed to be buried presents significant challenges. Newport City Council has maintained that an excavation could harm the environment, disrupt local ecosystems, and cost millions in public funds. In response, Howells argues that his recovery plan has been meticulously designed to minimize environmental impact and offers the potential for substantial public benefit.
His legal team contends that the council’s refusal to search for the drive not only obstructs his personal recovery efforts but also deprives the community of a financial windfall. According to the agreement proposed by Howells, the remaining Bitcoin would be shared among investors and local initiatives if the drive is found and the cryptocurrency retrieved.
Ownership Dispute and Council’s Defense
The council, however, claims that anything discarded at the recycling center becomes their property, complicating Howells’ legal battle. They argue that by throwing out the hard drive, Howells surrendered ownership, making their refusal to assist in the recovery legally sound.
Howells disagrees, maintaining that his actions were a mistake and that he never intended to abandon the drive or its contents. His lawyers assert that the council’s unwillingness to act is unfair, given the extraordinary financial potential at stake.
A Final Push for Recovery
After years of back-and-forth negotiations and fruitless meetings with council officials, Howells’ lawsuit marks his final attempt to recover the Bitcoin fortune. The case is scheduled to go before a judge in December, with both sides preparing to make their arguments.
If the court sides with Howells, the decision could set a legal precedent for digital asset recovery and liability in cases of mistaken disposal. Alternatively, if the council prevails, it will raise questions about how ownership laws apply to discarded property in an increasingly digital world.
As the December trial approaches, the outcome remains uncertain, but one thing is clear: this legal saga encapsulates both the promise and pitfalls of the cryptocurrency era. For Howells, the stakes couldn’t be higher. A successful verdict could mean the reclamation of a life-changing fortune, while failure would see his lost Bitcoin story fade into history—alongside the hard drive buried deep in a Newport landfill.
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