James Howells, also famously known as the man who accidentally threw away Bitcoin, is now turning to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump for help after losing his legal fight to recover a lost Bitcoin fortune worth nearly $800 million. The Wales-based software engineer had sought court approval to dig up a landfill in Newport, where a discarded hard drive containing 8,000 Bitcoins has been buried since 2013.
The man, who accidentally threw Bitcoin into the trash, found himself in the middle of a decade-long fight after being locked out of the hard drive containing his digital fortune. Howells’ desperate appeal to the Newport City Council for permission to excavate the landfill was rejected in favor of the environment.
“It feels like the end of the world for me,” Howells lamented, acknowledging that his options have now dwindled. In a statement to the press, he jokingly mentioned offering Trump a share of the recovered fortune if the President-elect could intervene on his behalf. “Maybe Donald Trump could help make something happen. I’m appealing to him and anyone else who can help sort this madness,” he said.
The Costly Mistake
The incident dates back to 2013 when Howells mistakenly disposed of the hard drive in the course of cleaning his office. The error then became compounded with his ex-girlfriend unknowingly throwing the device away with other unwanted items. Today, those 8,000 Bitcoins would amount to approximately $798 million, using the current market price.
Why It Matters
In this cryptocurrency world, this becomes one of those cautionary tales learned to handle with care that very private key. For Howells, losing a fortune like Bitcoin is something greater than being broke; he was a media persona who found sympathy from many as his tale attracted global attention.
His bid, which to a mile sounds like science fiction, would try every bit that retrieve what he thinks changed his life when he flung his Bitcoin by accident.
Also, see: Bitcoin Nears $100,000 as Softer US Inflation Fuels Market Optimism