James Howells, a former IT worker from Newport, finds his hopes of recovering a fortune dashed as a High Court judge dismisses his legal bid to recover a hard drive containing Bitcoin worth approximately £598 million. In 2009, Howells successfully mined a significant amount of Bitcoin when the cryptocurrency was nearly worthless. However, in 2013, he inadvertently discarded the hard drive, which ended up in a landfill site, courtesy of his former partner. The situation became dire as the value of Bitcoin soared by more than 80% in 2024.
In an effort to retrieve the hard drive, Howells has been attempting to engage with Newport City Council for over a decade. He offered to donate 10% of the recovered Bitcoin to the local community, hoping to gain access to the landfill. The landfill currently holds more than 1.4 million tonnes of waste, but Howells believes he has narrowed down the hard drive's location to an area consisting of 100,000 tonnes.
"I've been trying to engage with Newport City Council in every way which is humanly possible for the past 12 years," said James Howells.
Despite his persistent efforts, the council has resisted, citing existing laws that deem the hard drive their property once it entered the landfill site. The council's legal team argued that there were no reasonable grounds for Howells' claim and no realistic prospect of success at a full trial. Consequently, the judge ruled in favor of the council, striking out the legal action.
"This ruling has taken everything from me and left me with nothing. It's the great British injustice system striking again," Howells lamented.
Howells remains deeply upset by the decision, feeling as though he has been unfairly treated by the legal system. He expressed frustration over his inability to have meaningful discussions with those in positions of power.
"It's not about greed; I'm happy to share the proceeds, but nobody in a position of power will have a decent conversation with me," he explained.
Despite this setback, Howells continues to believe in the potential value of his lost Bitcoin. He estimates that by next year, the cryptocurrency on his hard drive might be worth as much as £1 billion. However, without legal support or access to the landfill, these dreams remain elusive.
Legal experts involved in the case noted the challenges of retrieving and validating ownership of such lost digital assets. James Goudie KC emphasized that numerous parties were interested in "signing up for a share of the action," highlighting the complexities surrounding claims to digital currencies.