What would you do if you accidentally threw away a fortune? For James Howells, it wasn’t just a bad day — it became a 12-year odyssey filled with legal battles, tech dreams, and heartbreaking defeat.
The Day $742 Million Went to the Dump
In 2013, James Howells, an IT specialist from Newport, South Wales, tossed out a hard drive during a routine office cleanup. Unbeknownst to him, it contained the private keys to a wallet holding 8,000 Bitcoins — worth about $8 million at the time. Fast forward to today, that same hard drive would unlock over $742 million.
As the value of Bitcoin skyrocketed, the loss became unbearable. What started as an honest mistake transformed into one of the most infamous digital blunders in history. But Howells didn’t just give up — he launched a mission to get it back.
A Wild Plan With Robots, AI, and Drones
Determined to recover his fortune, Howells proposed a bold plan: to excavate the Newport landfill using robot dogs, AI-powered drones, and machine vision to find the buried drive — all while minimizing environmental harm.
He offered to fund the operation himself, at no cost to the city. But the Newport City Council refused. Their reason? Concerns over landfill gas, toxic waste, and legal restrictions. In the UK, once something’s thrown in the landfill, it’s technically no longer yours.
Courtroom Drama and a Final Defeat
Howells fought through the legal system for over a decade. He even tried to sue Newport Council for £495 million in damages. But in 2024, a British judge ruled there was “no realistic prospect” of recovering the drive after so many years underground.
Extreme pressure, moisture, and heat had likely destroyed it. The court’s decision marked the end of a 12-year battle — at least on paper.
But the Story Isn’t Over
Despite the legal dead end, Howells’ story is coming to life in a new way. A Los Angeles production company, LEBUL, has secured the rights to turn the saga into a docuseries called “The Buried Bitcoin: The Real-Life Treasure Hunt of James Howells.”
The show promises behind-the-scenes looks at his AI-powered recovery plans, legal struggles, and the emotional rollercoaster of losing — and almost recovering — one of the largest lost fortunes in history.
📺 Watch the full video now on our YouTube channel — and tell us: would you have kept fighting?