James Howells Plans to Buy Site Where He Believes His Hard Drive is Buried

James Howells, the computer expert who has spent over ten years trying to recover a £600 million bitcoin fortune believed to be lost in a Welsh landfill, is exploring the possibility of purchasing the site in order to conduct his own search for the missing hard drive. Howells, 39, had recently lost a high court case in his bid to compel Newport city council to allow him to search the dump where he believes the hard drive, containing his bitcoin wallet, was discarded.

The council, which has announced plans to close the landfill and cap it in the near future, has also secured permission to build a solar farm on part of the land. This decision threatens to end Howells’ hopes of retrieving his fortune.

Speaking on Monday, Howells expressed surprise at the closure plans, stating, “The council argued that allowing me to search the landfill would cause significant disruption to the people of Newport, yet they were already planning to close it.” He added, “Although I knew it would eventually close due to being near full capacity, I didn’t expect it to happen so soon. If the council is open to it, I’m seriously considering buying the landfill and have discussed this with potential investors.”

The saga began in the summer of 2013, when Howells mistakenly discarded the hard drive while clearing his office. His then-partner unknowingly took the drive to the local tip, where it was lost. Despite realising the error, Howells has spent years petitioning the council to allow him to search the landfill, even offering to share the bitcoin wealth, but the council has repeatedly denied his request, claiming the hard drive became its property once it entered the landfill.

In January, the high court judge ruled in favour of the council, rejecting Howells’ appeal to search the site. Newport city council declined to comment on the matter.