British Engineer Who Lost Hard Drive with 8,000 Bitcoin Now Worth $915M Ends 12-Year Landfill Search, Shifts to Token Strategy
James Howells, the British IT engineer known for his decade-long search for a hard drive containing 8,000 Bitcoin, has dismissed reports claiming he has ended his efforts to recover the cryptocurrency—now worth around $915 million at current prices Howells made headlines back in 2013 after accidentally discarding the hard drive, which was later buried in a landfill in Newport, Wales Since then, he has made multiple efforts to excavate the site but has consistently been denied permission by the Newport City Council Responding to viral social media claims that he had abandoned his search, Howells toldThe Blockvia direct message on X (formerly Twitter),
“No, I have not ‘given up.’ The story going around is partially true, but not in the way it’s being framed.”
He clarified that while he is no longer pursuing the purchase or excavation of the Newport landfill, this does not mean he has given up on reclaiming the value of the Bitcoin stored on the missing hard drive
Also Read:How to Pick a Bitcoin Casino Affiliate Program That Pays
Howells revealed that on July 1, 2025, he made a formal offer valued between $33 million and $40 million to acquire and remediate the landfill The offer was submitted to Newport City Council’s leader, legal team, and a local MP — but has received no response “If they won’t sell, there’s no need for a token sale to buy the landfill.I am no longer pursuing the purchase of the landfill, I am no longer pursuing excavation or remediation, I am no longer pursuing dialogue with the council.”
Source: iHarare
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Source: Iharare
