Hard drive with $700 million worth of Bitcoin in landfill, owner not allowed to access it

James Howells, an IT engineer from Newport, Wales, has had his legal battle going on for years now lost to reclaim a discarded hard drive containing more than $770 million worth of Bitcoin.

The hard drive accidentally ended up in a landfill. Newport City Council has consistently denied access to the landfill due to restrictions on environmental permits. And that will remain the case, judge Keyser has decided.

Since 2013, Howells has repeatedly requested permission to access the landfill. He proposed sharing or donating part of his fortune, but to no avail.

When Howells put his hard drive in the trash, Bitcoin was worth $13.

Howells’ legal team remains in negotiations with Newport City Council.