Man Offers to Purchase Landfill in Quest for Lost Bitcoin

James Howells, who has been trying to locate a missing Bitcoin wallet worth $800 million for over a decade, has now proposed to buy the Newport City Council landfill to excavate and search for the lost hard drive containing his digital treasure.

James Howells is at the end of a long and arduous search for a Bitcoin wallet he lost over a decade ago, and he hopes to make his final proposal to Newport City Council in South Wales: If they will not allow him to dig through the city’s landfill, then he wants to buy it.

His aim, by his own account, is straightforward. Howells plans to excavate thousands of tons of waste in hopes of locating a hard drive that he accidentally discarded in 2013. The value of the lost Bitcoin wallet could be around $800 million, making his quest financially compelling.

“This seems logical,” Howells articulated, emphasizing the urgency of his endeavor. For the past twelve years, he has persistently sought permission from municipal officials to explore the landfill. He has secured agreements with a data recovery firm and an excavator, even engaging a former landfill director to help map the site. Nevertheless, the Newport City Council has consistently denied his requests and is on the verge of permanently closing the landfill.

Now, in a last-ditch effort, Howells has pitched a new solution to the council: real estate. He suggests that buying the landfill would benefit both him and the city. "The landfill gets cleaned. I get to dig for my hard drive," Howells asserted, envisioning possible outcomes including converting the area into a public park or restoring it as a waste site.

Such a proposal may not only facilitate his expedition but may also provide the Newport City Council with financial benefits. As Howells continues to push for the chance to find his digital gold, his journey serves as a testament to the lengths one man will go to reclaim his fortune.