In 2012, Mia, a high school senior, received a gift of 150 BTC from her tech-savvy uncle, worth around $15 at the time when Bitcoin was priced at approximately $0.10 per BTC. He told her, "Someday, this might be worth something." Mia saved the wallet file on a USB drive and promptly forgot about it.
By 2024, Bitcoin had surged to $98,000 per BTC, making that gift worth a staggering $14.7 million. When Mia remembered the gift, she frantically searched through every drawer, box, and old gadget in her house. Weeks of searching led nowhere.
Determined, Mia hired a data recovery specialist, offering a hefty cut of the fortune if they succeeded. After hours of effort, the specialist recovered her wallet file from an old laptop.
With her 150 BTC recovered, Mia used her newfound wealth to pay off debts, start a foundation, and take her uncle on the world trip he'd always dreamed of. She’d learned one thing for sure: never underestimate a seemingly small gift.
