James Howells, an engineer from Newport, Wales, has lost his legal battle to recover a hard drive containing nearly $740 million worth of Bitcoin. The judge stated that there was no realistic chance of success.
What’s Known
Since the unfortunate disposal of the hard drive in 2013, Howells has been fighting to retrieve it. The device holds 8,000 Bitcoins mined in 2009 when the cryptocurrency's value was nearly zero. The hard drive was accidentally thrown away and ended up in a landfill. At the time of writing, it is worth around $740 million.
The legal battle has been ongoing for years. On January 9, 2025, Judge Keyser, the leading commercial judge for Wales, dismissed Howells’ case, stating that there were “no realistic chances of success” in a future trial. The judge emphasized that such cases could not be handled within legal procedures.
Negotiations with Authorities
Since 2013, Howells has repeatedly requested permission from the Newport council to access the landfill. He even offered to share 25% of the found Bitcoins in the case of a successful recovery. However, authorities regularly denied the request, citing restrictions related to environmental permits.
The city council also explained its refusal by the need to comply with environmental standards. The authorities claim that excavation at the landfill could result in environmental contamination. In response, Howells accused the council of violating environmental regulations, asserting that hazardous substances such as arsenic and methane were being released at the site.
Search Plan
Howells developed an elaborate plan to recover the data from the hard drive. His concept involved robot dogs to scan the area, AI-powered machines to sort through the trash, and even training the AI on a replica of the landfill. The total cost of the project was estimated at $11 million. However, the expenses would be covered by hedge funds that Howells partnered with, offering them a share of the Bitcoins found.
Experts, including NASA engineers, are confident that the data could be recovered even if the hard drive is damaged, but first, the disk must be located.
The case has gained significant attention due to the surge in Bitcoin’s value, which reached a historic high in 2024, surpassing $100,000. This event reignited the long-running legal dispute, which could potentially bring Howells a substantial fortune.
However, many people believe that the hard drive has long since decayed, and it is unlikely to be recovered. Do you think this is the end of the story?
This post is for informational purposes only and is not an ad or investment advice. Please do your own research making any decisions.