Welsh computer engineer seeks to purchase landfill to look for Bitcoin bonanza

(MENAFN) James Howells, a Welsh computer engineer, is attempting to purchase a local landfill in order to search for a hard drive containing 8,000 Bitcoins that he believes is buried there. The hard drive was discarded by his partner in 2013 during an office cleanup, and Howells has been trying to retrieve it ever since. At the time, the value of the Bitcoin was about $106,400, but by the end of the year, it surged to over $9 million. Today, the Bitcoins are valued at over $775 million.

However, Howells lost a legal battle last month when the Newport City Council denied his request to excavate the landfill. The council has raised environmental concerns and legal issues, arguing that the hard drive became their property once it entered the landfill. They also announced plans to cap the landfill and build a solar farm. Despite the setback, Howells, 39, expressed interest in purchasing the site and is exploring investment opportunities with partners. He has also filed an appeal in the Royal Court of Appeal in London, though a judge previously stated there was “no realistic prospect” of success in his case.

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