Judge Dismisses Lawsuit Over Lost $750 Million Bitcoin Buried In Landfill

A British court has officially ended James Howells’ decade-long fight to recover a hard drive containing 8,000 Bitcoins, now valued at $750 million. The ruling by Judge Keyser KC denied Howells’ request to excavate a Newport landfill, closing the door on one of the most well-known cryptocurrency recovery attempts.

Howells, an IT engineer from Newport, Wales, accidentally discarded the hard drive in 2013 when Bitcoin held little value. As the cryptocurrency’s worth skyrocketed, he made numerous appeals to the Newport City Council for permission to search the landfill. Howells even pledged to cover the full excavation cost and share 25% of the recovered Bitcoin with the city and local community.

However, the Newport City Council continuously rejected Howells’ proposals, citing environmental risks and logistical challenges tied to digging through 1.4 million tons of waste. Howells claimed to have narrowed the search to a 100,000-ton area, but officials remained firm in their refusal.

In his ruling, Judge Keyser stated that Howells had “no reasonable grounds” to proceed with the lawsuit. The judge ruled that the council legally owns the landfill contents, including the hard drive, and that the claim had no realistic prospect of success.

Howells expressed frustration and disappointment over the ruling, describing it as a “kick in the teeth.” He criticized the court for dismissing the case before allowing a full trial where he could present his recovery plan. “I have tried everything humanly possible to engage with the council, but nobody in power would even have a real conversation with me,” he said.

Over the years, Howells assembled a team of data recovery specialists and environmental experts to help locate the drive. Despite his extensive planning and financial backing, the environmental risks associated with the landfill ultimately prevented any excavation effort.