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

Tue 19 Sep 2023 ▪ 3 min of reading ▪ by Ariela R.
Getting informed

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.

Bitcoin with portrait of Bitcoin investor James Howells.
In hopes of getting his bitcoins (BTC) back, James Howells is preparing to launch a legal battle against Newport City

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.

BTCUSD chart by TradingView

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.

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…

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Ariela R. avatar
Ariela R.

Je m'appelle Ariela et j'ai 31 ans. J'oeuvre dans le domaine de la rédaction web depuis maintenant 7 ans. Je n'ai découvert le trading et la cryptomonnaie que depuis quelques années. Mais c'est un univers qui m'intéresse beaucoup. Et les sujets traités au sein de la plateforme me permettent d'en apprendre davantage. Chanteuse à mes heures perdues, je cultive aussi une grande passion pour la musique et la lecture (et les animaux !)

DISCLAIMER

The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this article belong solely to the author, and should not be taken as investment advice. Do your own research before taking any investment decisions.