James Howells, the man behind Bitcoin's most notorious lost fortune, is continuing his relentless pursuit to recover a hard drive containing 8,000 BTC, currently worth over $787 million.
His ex-girlfriend, Halfina Eddy-Evans, recently revealed that she was the one who threw out the drive back in 2013, but insisted she was simply following Howells’ instructions during a routine cleanup. At the time, she had no idea of the drive’s value and discarded it with other household trash, sending it to a landfill in Newport.
Howells is now locked in a bitter legal battle with Newport City Council, which has refused to grant him permission to excavate the massive landfill. The council cites environmental and logistical concerns, arguing that digging through the site would cause significant disruption.
Undeterred, Howells has filed a lawsuit seeking $620 million in damages, claiming that the council is withholding his property. Eddy-Evans, who has been dragged into the controversy, has expressed frustration at being blamed for the loss and wishes the situation would end, but acknowledges the magnitude of the situation.
Despite the ongoing legal drama, Howells remains fixated on recovering the hard drive. Bitcoin‘s soaring value has only intensified his determination, and if prices continue to climb, the value of his lost stash could surpass $1 billion. Howells has even pledged to donate 10% of the recovered fortune to transform Newport into a thriving city.
However, Eddy-Evans, who has distanced herself from Howells since their breakup, believes the obsession with the lost Bitcoin is taking a toll on him mentally. She just wants the saga to come to an end so she can move on.
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