James Howells, an IT professional who lost a hard drive containing approximately 8,000 bitcoins—valued at around $800 million—after it was discarded in a landfill over a decade ago, is making a last-ditch effort to recover the treasure. Following a court loss against Newport City Council, which plans to develop a solar farm on the landfill, Howell's hopes were reignited with the announcement of the landfill's impending closure. He offered to buy the site to excavate the trash using advanced technology in the hope of locating his lost hard drive. However, the Newport council has consistently rejected his proposals, asserting that his ownership of the bitcoins ended when the hard drive was discarded and that digging would be prohibitively expensive. Despite this, Howells remains determined to pursue the recovery of his lost fortune, noting the potential benefits of cleaning the site for both him and the city.

Key Points:

• James Howells lost a hard drive with 8,000 bitcoins in a landfill and aims to recover it.
• He offered to buy the landfill as it is closing, but the Newport City Council has rejected his proposals.
• The council intends to develop a solar farm on the site to meet climate goals, viewing it as unsuitable for other uses.
• Howells claims using AI technology to search for his hard drive would benefit the city by cleaning up the landfill.
• Newport council maintains that Howells forfeited his bitcoin ownership once the hard drive was disposed of in the landfill.
• Despite challenges, Howells is committed to searching for his lost bitcoins.
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