Man’s Quest to Retrieve £620 Million Digital Wallet

It has been over ten years since James Howells’ hard drive, containing Bitcoin valued in the hundreds of millions of pounds, was disposed of at a landfill site.

Despite many hurdles, he remains committed to retrieving it.

He stated, “This is my job, my 9 to 5,” emphasizing that he would “definitely not” give up.

With the cryptocurrency’s value rapidly escalating, presently estimated at around £620 million, Mr. Howells explained, “It makes sense for me to concentrate my efforts on this,” although he does engage in other cryptocurrency work.

Originating from Newport, Mr. Howells claims his ex-partner accidentally disposed of the hard drive, which housed 8,000 bitcoins, in 2013 at a landfill managed by Newport City Council.

Previously, a High Court judge dismissed his attempts to access the landfill or obtain £495 million in damages, stating there were no “reasonable grounds” to proceed with the claim and “no realistic prospect” of success at full trial.

He is now preparing to represent himself using artificial intelligence to assist with his claim at the Court of Appeal. He has additionally shown interest in purchasing the site following the council’s announcement to close it in the 2025-26 financial period.

Newport council has refrained from commenting further on the issue.

As an early adopter of cryptocurrencies, Mr. Howells mined Bitcoin in 2009 when its value was significantly lower than today.

He claimed that his ex-partner unintentionally threw out a hard drive, comparable in size to a mobile phone, containing a Bitcoin wallet in 2013. As Bitcoin’s price soared, he assembled a team of experts to locate and recover it.

He repeatedly sought permission from the council to access the site, proposing to share a portion of the recovered Bitcoin.

Following Mr. Howells initiating legal action, the council sought a High Court hearing to have the claim dismissed before a trial, which the judge ruled on last month.

The council contended that its environmental permits would prohibit any excavation attempts at the site, stating that such activity would result in significant adverse environmental impacts on the surrounding area.

Undeterred, Mr. Howells now sees two potential avenues for retrieving the digital wallet: appealing to the Court of Appeal or collaborating with investors to purchase the landfill after the council announced plans to close the site within the next two years.

Mr. Howells shared with BBC News that he was satisfied with the effort his legal team put into the High Court trial, but he will be representing himself in a case now filed with the Court of Appeal, utilizing an “artificial intelligence agent” to help bolster his claim.

He described AI as “an incredibly remarkable technology” which has aided him in gaining a better understanding of court procedures and legal matters, believing that he has about seven “solid legal grounds” to present in person to the Court of Appeal.

One of his arguments will focus on the council’s plans to close the site, which he contends should have been disclosed during the High Court trial.

“This is crucial information that should have been shared during the trial – the judge needed to be aware of this, as did I,” he emphasized.

Mr. Howells evaluated that purchasing and fully excavating the site would save the council significant maintenance expenses once it reaches closure.

“Every single item would be extracted or recycled, concluding with us holding a hard drive – and also leaving an empty landfill site,” he stated.

In the High Court trial, the council also maintained that the hard drive became their property as soon as it entered the landfill; however, Mr. Howells argued this viewpoint neglects the fact that it was his ex-partner who discarded it.

“It was disposed of without my permission or consent,” he asserted.

Mr. Howells mentioned he is considering purchasing the site from the council, noting he has “preliminary agreements” with investors, including individuals from the Middle East and the United States, who could provide funding contingent upon obtaining permission to acquire the property.

“They’re not merely going to give me millions; however, if the council shows intent to sell the site, then the funding will certainly be accessible,” he stated.

The council has not indicated an interest in selling the site and has secured planning permission for a solar farm on part of the land as part of its closure strategy.

Having invested several years in this pursuit, including initiating legal actions, Mr. Howells expressed certainty that the hard drive is still at the landfill, which contains over 1.4 million tonnes of waste.

He claimed to have conducted extensive due diligence and research, having conversed with a landfill site manager.

“Everything that was placed in that site remains there. Hence, where else could it possibly be?”

When asked if he would ever abandon his quest to recover it, he replied: “Absolutely not. This is akin to the final battle in Braveheart.”

Bitcoin is a form of cryptocurrency, representing a virtual or digital currency with no physical existence.

Bitcoins can be divided into smaller denominations, with a satoshi being the smallest unit.

Satoshis are named after Bitcoin’s creator, Satoshi Nakamoto – a name believed to be a pseudonym – known for writing a landmark paper on the currency in 2008.

Investors during this period, such as Mr. Howells, were part of a “very small” crypto community called Cypherpunks, according to Billy Bambrough, author of the CryptoCodex newsletter.

While Bitcoin was not the first cryptocurrency created, it quickly garnered significant attention as early enthusiasts became “very quickly enamored” with it, noted Mr. Bambrough.

Prices surged notably in 2016 and 2017, and again during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 when “stock markets, cryptocurrencies, and meme coins saw enormous increases.”

“Many individuals became wealthy, yet many others experienced losses,” remarked Mr. Bambrough.

Bitcoin also experienced swift price hikes late in 2024, following Donald Trump’s election victory, which was perceived as more favorable towards cryptocurrencies than the administration of Joe Biden.

“Numerous individuals in the crypto and Bitcoin communities believe the price has escalated so dramatically within a short timeframe that it may continue to rise even further,” Mr. Bambrough explained.

“Thus, it’s easy to see why James [Howells] is eager to locate his Bitcoin.”