Man Seeks to Retrieve $800 Million Bitcoin from Landfill by Purchasing Site

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James Howells, a British man, has proposed buying a landfill site in Newport, Wales, to retrieve a hard drive containing nearly $800 million worth of Bitcoin, which he accidentally discarded in 2013. According to reports, Howells lost the hard drive while clearing out his belongings, mistakenly believing it to be a blank drive. The Bitcoin's value has surged dramatically since then, leading Howells to seek legal permission to excavate the Docksway Landfill.

In 2021, he offered Newport City Council over $70 million for access to the site, but his appeal was dismissed by a High Court judge this past January. “The council has told Mr. Howells on a number of occasions that excavation is not possible under our licensing permit and would significantly impact the environment,” a council spokeswoman stated.

With plans to potentially purchase the landfill outright, Howells hopes this approach will finally provide access to the drive, which he believes contains the private key needed to access his Bitcoin wallet.

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