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The Long Quest for Lost Bitcoin: James Howells’ Ten-Year Battle
A British man, James Howells, has spent the last decade attempting to recover a hard drive believed to contain 8,000 bitcoins, currently valued at over $750 million. His struggle began in 2013 when he inadvertently disposed of the hard drive while clearing out his belongings.
Howells, aged 39, has sought legal permission from Newport City Council in southern Wales to search the local landfill where he suspects the hard drive could be buried. Unfortunately for him, this week marked another setback as a judge denied his latest request to initiate the search.
In his ruling, Judge Keyser KC emphasized that Howells’ claim lacked reasonable grounds, stating, “I consider that the particulars of the claim do not show any reasonable grounds for bringing this case.” He elaborated that once the hard drive entered the landfill, it legally became the property of the council, complicating Howells’ chances of retrieval.
According to Howells, he mistakenly threw away the hard drive, thinking it was an identical blank one. In the years since, as bitcoin’s value significantly increased, his desire to recover the hard drive intensified, with current prices placing the asset’s worth at approximately $757 million.
Over the years, Howells has repeatedly approached the council with various proposals, including offering a share of the cryptocurrency upon recovery. He has suggested employing a mix of manual laborers, robotic devices, and AI technology capable of identifying hard drives within the 110,000 tons of waste at the site.
Despite his persistent efforts, the council and the judge’s rulings have consistently recognized the legalities surrounding lost property in landfills. Howells had also sought substantial compensation, claiming £495 million (about $608 million), but the court found that his chances of winning were slim.
In a statement following the ruling, Howells expressed his disappointment but also a sense of determination. “I’m disappointed they wouldn’t let me proceed to trial,” he remarked. Nevertheless, he found solace in the judge’s acknowledgment that while the physical hard drive might belong to the council, the ownership of the bitcoin remained with him. “Until a higher court tells me no, I’ll keep on fighting,” he declared, holding onto hope that he could somehow realize the value of his lost digital fortune.
For now, Howells’ story underscores both the complexities surrounding digital currency ownership and the lengths to which one man will go to reclaim a lost treasure.
Read more on Business Insider.
Source
finance.yahoo.com