A resident of the city of Newport in South Wales, James Howells, says that his ex-girlfriend accidentally threw away a hard drive with thousands of bitcoins in 2013. The man is still looking for them.
This is reported by Sky News.
According to the 39-year-old IT worker, the value of his lost bitcoins exceeds £600 million (over $741 million). Now the man is considering buying the land to hunt for the missing fortune himself.
The Newport City Council plans to close the landfill in the 2025-2026 financial year, ending James' hopes of getting his property back. He told reporters the news came as a “big surprise” to him.
«I thought it would be closed in the next few years because it's 80-90% full, but I didn't expect it to happen so soon», — Howells said.
Last month, a man filed a lawsuit to be allowed to search the dump or be paid £495 million in compensation. The court dismissed the lawsuit.
«If Newport City Council is willing, I would be potentially interested in purchasing the dump «as is». I have discussed this option with investment partners, it is on the agenda», — added the IT expert.
The judge is convinced that Howells' lawsuit has «no real prospects of success» if it is allowed to proceed, The Guardian writes.