Local Individual Filing Lawsuit Against Municipal Authority to Recover Discarded Bitcoin Hard Drive Containing Potential Fortune of $500 Million
In a bizarre and captivating tale, a 39-year-old man named James Howells from Newport, Wales, finds himself in a peculiar predicament. Back in 2013, Howells accidentally threw away a hard drive containing approximately 7,500 to 8,000 Bitcoin. If found today, the hard drive would be worth over half a billion pounds due to the remarkable rise in value of Bitcoin.
However, Howells' efforts to retrieve the hard drive, buried deep in the Docksway landfill, have been met with repeated denials from the Newport City Council. The council, being the only body authorized to carry out operations on the site, has consistently cited environmental and financial risks as reasons for their refusal.
Despite these obstacles, Howells has not given up. He has assembled a team of investors and has sued the Newport City Council, asking for £495,314,800 in damages. If successful, the crypto assets found on the hard drive would potentially make Howells financially independent, with him retaining some 30% of its value.
However, the legal proceedings have not gone in Howells' favour. In January 2025, the local court dismissed his lawsuit on environmental and financial grounds, stating that his claim had "no realistic prospect of success." The landfill where the hard drive was buried is now being shut down, effectively ending any further recovery attempts.
Howells has not given up hope. He has stated that he would share a portion of the profits from the hard drive with the local community, should it be found. Yet, the potential transformation of Newport to resemble Las Vegas or Dubai, as Howells has suggested, remains a contentious issue among the residents.
The plan to find the hard drive in the dump is considered highly controversial due to potential environmental harm. The Newport City Council has stated that excavation is not possible under their environmental permit and that such work would have a significant negative impact on the surrounding area.
As of August 2025, Howells has ceased all efforts to recover the drive. The question remains whether Howells is risking years of his life and a significant amount of money in his pursuit of the hard drive, considering the possibility of it being lost forever or thoroughly corrupted and unusable.
- Despite the legal battles and the ongoing controversy, Gizmodo reports that Howells continues to dream about the future potential tech windfall, envisioning a transformation for Newport reminiscent of cities like Las Vegas or Dubai if the Bitcoin-laden hard drive is found.
- As the landfill where the hard drive is buried is about to be shut down, tech enthusiasts continue to follow the saga with interest, wondering if Howells' relentless pursuit of the technology treasure will eventually pay off or fade into oblivion.
