A British software developer’s incredible 12-year-long struggle resembles a movie script. James Howells is on a crusade to recover a hard disk containing 7,500 Bitcoins that he accidentally dumped in a landfill. In order to save Bitcoin worth 750 million dollars in today’s value, he offered to buy the entire garbage dump in Wales.
750 million dollars worth of Bitcoin buried in a landfill: 12 years of struggle
In fact, when James Howells started mining Bitcoin in 2009, the value of Bitcoin was almost zero. But over the years, the cryptocurrency market exploded and Howells’ randomly discarded hard disk turned into a fortune. Unfortunately, the disk is now buried under 15,000 tons of garbage, in about 25,000 cubic meters of waste. Authorities say it may be impossible to recover data from a disk that has been buried for so long.
The municipality is blocking it: Environmental risk and safety concerns
In 2017, Howells sought permission to dig in the dump for the first time, but was denied due to “security risks” and “the possibility of attracting treasure hunters”. In 2021, his offer to donate 25% of the Bitcoin he would buy back to the municipality was also rejected.
He went further and proposed precision excavation using Boston Dynamics robots, but this plan was also rejected. As a last resort, he announced that he wanted to buy the dump outright. But Newport Council rejected this proposal too, citing environmental risks and the high cost.
It is unclear whether a hard disk that has been in the landfill all this time would still work. According to storage experts, if the disk has been subjected to excessive moisture and physical stress, the chances of data recovery are very low. However, if the disk platter is not damaged, it can be recovered in specialized laboratories.
James Howells has no intention of giving up. But legal hurdles and technical difficulties have put him in an increasingly complex predicament. What would you do in such a situation? Do you think it makes sense to fight for 12 years for 750 million dollars? Let us know in the comments section below…
