James Howells, a Welsh IT professional, accidentally threw away a hard drive containing 8,000 Bitcoins in 2013. At the time worth around $8 million, those Bitcoins are now valued at approximately $742 million.
Determined to recover his digital fortune, Howells proposed a high-tech recovery using AI-powered drones and robots to search the Newport landfill where the hard drive was discarded. However, environmental concerns and legal restrictions blocked access to the site. Newport City Council denied excavation permits, citing risks of toxic gas release and groundwater contamination.
British landfill laws further complicated the matter, as discarded items legally belong to the landfill operator and excavation is highly regulated. In 2024, a judge ruled that Howells’s chances of finding the hard drive were slim, given the device’s likely deterioration after more than a decade underground.
Following this legal setback, Howells abandoned the search but his story continues to captivate. An American production company, LEBUL, is developing a documentary titled The Buried Bitcoin: The Real-Life Treasure Hunt of James Howells, set for release in late 2025. The film aims to portray his journey, from his technological ambitions to the legal and environmental challenges he faced.
Howells describes the film as an opportunity to share his experience on a global scale. Despite the defeat, he maintains his determination, reflecting the resilience of those impacted by the volatile nature of digital currencies.
This saga highlights the fragility of digital wealth and the complexities involved in recovering lost cryptocurrency. It also poses important questions about the security of digital assets and the regulatory and environmental issues that arise with innovative recovery efforts.