Man Seeks to Purchase Landfill in Desperate Bid to Recover $800 Million Bitcoin Wallet

After years of attempting to gain access to a South Wales landfill to find a discarded Bitcoin wallet worth approximately $800 million, James Howells has made a final proposal to Newport City Council, asking to purchase the landfill instead.

For over a decade, James Howells has been on an unwavering quest to reclaim a Bitcoin wallet he inadvertently threw away in 2013. The hard drive containing his key is now estimated to be worth around $800 million. His pursuit has led him to repeatedly engage with officials from the Newport City Council in South Wales, with mixed responses to his requests.

Howells is now offering what he sees as a pragmatic solution: if the council refuses to allow him to excavate the landfill, he is proposing to buy it outright. "This seems logical," he stated, backing his approach with a detailed plan that includes using advanced AI technology to sift through the landfill, which he estimates contains tens of thousands of tons of refuse.

Despite his numerous attempts that include hiring a data recovery firm and securing a former landfill director to help map out the area, the council has not granted his excavation request and is in the process of permanently closing the landfill. Howell's latest proposal seeks to turn the landfill into a clean site, potentially as a park or once again as a functional refuse site, while allowing him a chance to sift for his elusive hard drive.

In articulating his latest plan, Howells emphasized the potential benefits to both himself and the city, suggesting that it could be a favorable solution rather than a contentious standoff. "The landfill gets cleaned. I get to dig for my hard drive," he remarked, underscoring the win-win he hopes to achieve amid his long-running saga.