British Man Seeks to Buy Landfill in Quest to Recover 7500 BTC

The UK authorities plan to close and seal a landfill in Newport, where a hard drive containing 7500 BTC (approximately $738 million at current prices) was discarded in 2013. The device’s owner, James Howells, intends to purchase part of the site to continue his search, reports BBC. 

According to a statement from the municipal government, the landfill has been operational since the early 2000s and is nearing the end of its lifespan. The site is scheduled for closure and sealing in 2025–2026, with plans to build a solar power plant that will supply energy to new EV garbage trucks.

“The council’s plan to close the landfill so soon came as a big surprise, especially considering that the High Court stated that closing the landfill for my search would have a huge negative impact on Newport residents, even though they planned to close it anyway,” noted Howells. 

In December 2024, the Briton filed a lawsuit seeking either access to the landfill for his search or £495 million in compensation from the city authorities. The judge believed the bitcoin enthusiast attempted to “bribe” officials by offering to donate 10% of the findings for local residents’ needs. In January 2025, the court dismissed the lawsuit.

“The dismissal at the earliest hearing leaves me without the opportunity to explain or seek justice in any form. Much more could have been explained in a full trial, which is what I expected,” said Howells.

He added that he has been dealing with Newport City Council for 12 years and has tried every possible approach with officials, including offers to share part of the recovered funds.

“This decision has taken everything from me and left me with nothing. Once again, the great British system of injustice strikes,” he added.

Since the loss, the Briton has thoroughly explored search options. In 2021, he proposed using AI to analyze aerial photographs of the landfill. In 2022, he decided to employ two Spot robot dogs from Boston Dynamics. The main obstacle remains the lack of permission to conduct work on the site.

Howells stated that he plans to purchase the site after its closure and has secured support from an unnamed hedge fund, allegedly ready to finance the initiative. The enthusiast also intends to appeal the court’s decision to dismiss the lawsuit against the city council.

If this option fails, the Briton plans to launch a crypto project dedicated to finding the hard drive, featuring its own NFT or utility token. Howells emphasized his confidence that the “crypto world” will support him.

Back in November 2024, a popular Brazilian YouTuber-pianist lost a note with the seed phrase for a bitcoin wallet containing 4 BTC.