Man who accidentally threw hard drive containing 8,000 bitcoins worth half a billion dollars in landfill sues local city council for not excavating the site

10/25/2024

James Howells, known for mistakenly discarding a hard drive containing Bitcoin now valued at over half a billion dollars, has taken a significant step in his quest to recover it.

In a last-ditch effort, the Wales-based software engineer has filed a lawsuit against Newport City Council, seeking around £495.31 million ($647 million) in damages for repeatedly denying his requests to excavate the landfill where the hard drive, containing about 8,000 Bitcoin, is buried, according to WalesOnline.

Howells clarified that the lawsuit is primarily a tactic to push the council toward allowing an excavation rather than a reflection of the actual situation.

He has assembled a team of experts prepared to conduct the excavation at no cost to the council and has even offered 10% of the recovered Bitcoin's value as compensation.

The case is scheduled for a hearing in December. Newport Council, however, has dismissed the lawsuit as “weak” and raised concerns about the potential environmental impact of the proposed excavation.

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