In the latest development, a new twist has come to the limelight in a decade-long saga of James Howells bitcoin lost tragedy. James Howells, Welsh IT engineer accidentally lost a hard drive which contained 8,000 Bitcoins which is now worth around an eye-watering Rs 5,900 crore (£569 million).
As per the recent development, a new turn has come to the story. In a recent interview with MailOnline, his ex-partner, Halfina Eddy-Evans, admitted to being the one who threw the hard drive away during a routine household cleanup nearly a decade ago.
From Household Cleanup to a Multi-Billion Rupee Mistake
The story of the lost bitcoin tragedy began a decade ago, when James Howells, handed over a routine chore to his then-partner, Halfina Eddy-Evans. He asked her to take out some trash, including a black bag containing a seemingly unimportant computer hard drive. Bitcoin, at that time was relatively less know by many but unfortunately the times unknown digital currency in that device held the digital keys to a fortune: 8,000 Bitcoins mined by Howells in 2009.
Image used for representational purposes only | Pixabay
Fast forward to today, and those 8,000 Bitcoins are worth Rs 5,900 crore (£569 million).
“I Didn’t Know What Was Inside”
In a recent interview with MailOnline, Eddy-Evans broke her silence on the infamous landfill mystery. “He begged me to take a bag of rubbish to the tip. I had no idea what was inside,” she said, defending her actions. According to her, she reluctantly disposed of the bag while running errands, including a school run for their children.
Now, years later, Eddy-Evans has no stake in the potential windfall. “I hope he finds it, not that I want a penny. I just want him to stop talking about it,” she added, admitting the saga has taken a toll on his mental health.
A Legal Tussle Against Newport City Council
For over a decade, Howells has been locked in a legal battle with the Newport City Council. He claims the council is blocking him from accessing the landfill where the hard drive now lies buried under 100,000 tonnes of waste.
Image used for representational purposes only | Pixabay
Howells has filed a Rs 4,900 crore (£495 million) lawsuit, accusing the council of withholding his property. “This treasure hunt isn’t going away. The value grows every day,” he told Fortune.
However, the council remains firm, citing environmental concerns. A spokesperson explained, “Excavation is not possible under our environmental permit, and such work would have a huge negative impact on the area.”
Despite the challenges, Howells is determined to retrieve the drive. He claims to have identified the exact area where it lies buried. To sweeten the deal, he has offered to donate 10 per cent of the recovered fortune to transform Newport into “the Dubai or Las Vegas of the UK.”
