Recovering His 8,000 BTC: This Bitcoin Investor Thinks it's Possible

James Howells is a Bitcoin investor who misguidedly misplaced £164 million by throwing a hard drive into a landfill. To this day, he hopes to recover his Bitcoin (BTC) holdings despite a decade-long legal battle.

James Howells, a #bitcoin aficionado who inadvertently lost 7,500 BTC in a landfill in South Wales, is now preparing to initiate a legal battle against the city. https://t.co/727oYzJLoH

— Bitcoin News (@BTCTN) September 11, 2023

James Howells lost his Bitcoin (BTC) holdings in 2013

Bitcoin investor James Howells is preparing legal action against the local council of Newport City. The latter refuses to allow him to search a landfill for his lost Bitcoins.

In August 2013, this former software engineer discovered that he had accidentally thrown away 8,000 Bitcoin (BTC) while cleaning out his office. At today’s bitcoin price, that’s worth nearly £164 million. More to the point, Howells lost his BTCs when his ex-partner, Hafina, deposited the bag containing the hard drive in a landfill site in South Wales.

Since then, Howells has been engaged in a bitter battle with Newport City Council. He is desperate to gain access to the landfill site. Unfortunately, his request has been systematically rejected by the local authorities.

An open letter dated September 4, drafted by his legal team, demands that the council allow James Howells access to the site. He will then be able to start work on finding his lost bitcoins by September 18.

Legal battle to recover 164 million pounds

The Bitcoin investor is also preparing for a legal battle to :

• prevent the council from authorizing further work on the site,
• claim damages of $557 million (around £446 million).

This is the highest ever valuation for missing bitcoins. Howells is even seeking judicial review of the council’s decision to deny him access to the landfill.

The Bitcoin investor is willing to underwrite the costs of the excavation. He is even considering making donations to the local community. Despite this, the Newport City Council is sticking to its guns. According to the local council, excavation work is impossible under the environmental permit. To be continued…