Biography:James Howells
James Howells | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1986 (age 39–40) Newport, Wales, UK |
| Occupation | Entrepreneur, IT specialist |
| Known for | Notable Bitcoin loss story |
James Howells (born 1986) is a Welsh entrepreneur and information technology specialist, best known for accidentally discarding a hard drive containing 7,500 bitcoins, now worth millions of dollars.[1][2][3] He is currently founding a new technology company focused on blockchain solutions and digital security known as Ceiniog Coin.[3]
Early life and career
Howells was born in 1985 or 1986.[4] He was influenced at a young age by his mother, who was involved in the production of microchips.[5][6][7] By his teens, he was a regular user of the internet. Howells began building computers at the age of 13 and became a Napster user around the time of Bitcoin's inception. Working various IT jobs, he learnt about encryption while working on a Bowman communications system. Howells taught himself about Bitcoin in December 2008 and began studying the concept a month later. After the 2008 financial crisis, Howells considered fiat currencies a "scam", favouring the vision of Bitcoin inventor Nakamoto instead. He became an early adopter of the technology in 2009. By 2013, Howells was living in Newport with his three children and then-partner Hafina Eddy-Evans.[8] The two later broke up, with Eddy-Evans leaving with the children. In 2021, Howells worked from home maintaining emergency-response systems in Wales. A year later, he described himself as a cryptocurrency and blockchain project manager.[9]
Bitcoin hard drive loss
In 2013, Howells mistakenly discarded a hard drive containing approximately 7,500 bitcoins,[10] mined during his early involvement in the cryptocurrency.[3] The hard drive was accidentally thrown away during a home cleanup and ended up in a landfill site in Newport.[3][11]
Howells has made several appeals to Newport City Council for permission to excavate the landfill to recover the hard drive but has faced refusals citing environmental concerns and safety risks.[12][13][14]
Later activities
Following his high-profile Bitcoin loss, Howells has become an advocate for digital asset security and has spoken publicly about best practices in cryptocurrency management.[15] He is also active in IT entrepreneurship and is founding a new company that aims to develop blockchain-based security solutions known as Ceiniog Coin.[3][16]
See also
References
- ↑ Morris, Steven (2025-02-10). "Man who lost bitcoin fortune in Welsh tip explores purchase of entire landfill" (in en-GB). The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/feb/10/man-who-lost-bitcoin-fortune-in-welsh-tip-explores-purchase-of-entire-landfill.
- ↑ "Bitcoin man sues Newport council over '£600m fortune lost in tip'" (in en-gb). 2024-12-03. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c77jx4d5748o.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Hussey, Samuel (2025-08-08). "James lost $1.4 billion in Bitcoin to a landfill. Now, he has a new plan to get it back" (in en-US). https://www.forbes.com.au/covers/investing/buried-bitcoin-inside-james-howells-1-4-billion-landfill-disaster/.
- ↑ "Film to be made on man who lost £570m bitcoin in Newport tip" (in en-GB). 2025-05-01. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c74zel3ng1vo. ""James Howells, 39, has been trying to retrieve the hard drive containing his lost bitcoin fortune, which he believes is in a Newport landfill site, for over a decade.""
- ↑ Little, Darren (2013-11-28). "Bitcoin Blunder Man Throws Away '£4m Laptop'" (in en). https://news.sky.com/story/bitcoin-blunder-man-throws-away-4m-laptop-10426389.
- ↑ Humphries, Will (2021-01-14). "IT worker offers council £50m to let him search tip for bitcoin hard drive" (in en). https://www.thetimes.com/article/it-worker-offers-council-50m-to-let-him-search-tip-for-bitcoin-hard-drive-vw3fskg8v.
- ↑ Leston, Ryan (2024-11-19). "Bitcoin: Newport man says binned hard drive now worth £569m" (in en-GB). https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cgr0dyy152jo.
- ↑ Paul, James (2024-11-28). "Ex-Girlfriend Accidentally Disposed Rs 6,000 Cr Worth Bitcoin In Landfill Decade Ago; Man In Legal Battle To Dig Site" (in en-in). https://in.mashable.com/tech/85963/ex-girlfriend-accidentally-disposed-rs-6000-cr-worth-bitcoin-in-landfill-decade-ago-man-in-legal-bat.
- ↑ Barr, Kyle (2022-07-25). "Bitcoin Dumpster Guy Has a Wild Plan to Rescue Millions in Crypto From a Landfill" (in en-US). https://gizmodo.com/bitcoin-landfill-crypto-boston-dynamics-1849327709.
- ↑ "Bitcoins worth Rs 6,015 crore thrown away by techie's ex-girlfriend. 'I had no idea what was in it' - The Economic Times". https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/magazines/panache/bitcoins-worth-rs-6015-crore-thrown-away-by-it-engineers-ex-girlfriend-i-had-no-idea-what-was-in-it/articleshow/115661820.cms?from=mdr.
- ↑ "Bitcoin: James Howells gives up on retrieving hard drive from Newport landfill site" (in en-gb). 2025-08-07. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c620jej4kd4o.
- ↑ "james howells: Man considers buying entire landfill to unearth his $775-million Bitcoin fortune - The Economic Times". https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/us/man-considers-buying-entire-landfill-to-unearth-his-775-million-bitcoin-fortune/articleshow/118126268.cms?from=mdr.
- ↑ Ronald, Issy (2025-02-14). "Man who lost $800 million bitcoin in landfill wants to buy the garbage dump" (in en). https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/14/uk/james-howells-landfill-bitcoin-gbr-intl-scli.
- ↑ "In Yearslong Search for Lost Bitcoin, a Final Proposal: Let Me Buy the Landfill" (in en). 2025-02-13. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/13/world/europe/bitcoin-wales-james-howells-landfill.html.
- ↑ "James Howells Bitcoin: Did a simple cleanup cost this man $742 million? The shocking 12-year hunt for lost Bitcoin - The Economic Times". https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/us/did-a-simple-cleanup-cost-this-man-742-million-the-shocking-12-year-hunt-for-lost-bitcoin-crypto-news-bitcoin-news/articleshow/121629919.cms?from=mdr.
- ↑ "Bitcoin News Today: James Howells Launches Ceiniog Coin Project by 2025 Using Bitcoin Blockchain Features". https://www.ainvest.com/news/bitcoin-news-today-james-howells-launches-ceiniog-coin-project-2025-bitcoin-blockchain-features-2508/.
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