In 2013, James Howells, an IT engineer from Newport, Wales, accidentally lost access to around 8,000 Bitcoins after his ex-girlfriend, Halfina Eddy-Evans, accidentally threw away a hard drive containing the cryptocurrency.
At that time, the total value of Bitcoin was around £500,000. But now, its value has skyrocketed to an estimated £569 million ($716 million).
The incident occurred when Howells was clearing out old items. He carefully set the hard drive aside, knowing it contained his Bitcoin wallet key. But in the midst of the chaotic cleanup, he accidentally told Eddy-Evans to throw away a bag containing the valuable hard drive.
According to a report by the Daily Mail, she had thrown it into the Newport Council landfill site in South Wales, UK. When Howells realized this major mistake, the bag had been buried under a pile of garbage at the 110-acre landfill containing over 1.4 million tons of waste.
Howells has sought permission from the Newport City Council to search for the hard drive at the landfill. Reports indicate that he presented various plans to the council, such as using AI and robotic excavators to conduct the work at the site. He even met with investors willing to fund the project, estimated to cost around £10 million.
He also promised to donate a portion of the recovered Bitcoin to charities and local community projects.
However, the council rejected his request due to environmental concerns and legal restrictions on excavating that amount of waste.
But Howell did not back down. Instead, he took the council to court in October of this year and filed a lawsuit worth $495 million. He claimed they were preventing him from 'recovering his property'. The court's ruling on this matter is expected to be on December 3, 2024.
Meanwhile, Eddy-Evans was fed up with the whole situation. In an interview with the Daily Mail, she said she was tired of hearing about it. She also wished Howells all the best but admitted that this challenge had strained their relationship.
However, the incident became a topic of discussion on social media, with many people wondering if Howell would be able to dig up his millions or if it would be lost forever. Either way, only time will tell.