A man from Wales is in a legal battle to recover a staggering $ 710 million worth of Bitcoin that was mistakenly discarded by his ex-girlfriend. James Howells, who mined 8,000 Bitcoins back in 2009, claims that the valuable digital currency was stored on a hard drive, which was thrown away by his ex-girlfriend Halfina Eddy-Evans.
Halfina told Mail Online, “Yes, I threw away his rubbish, he asked me to. The computer part had been disposed of in a black sack along with other unwanted belongings, and he begged me to take it away. I had no idea what was in it, but I reluctantly dropped it off at the local tip on the way home from going on the school run.” She added, “I thought he should be running his errands, not me, but I did it to help out. Losing it was not my fault. I’d love nothing more than him to find it. I’m sick and tired of hearing about it.”
At the current market value, the bitcoin is estimated at $ 710 million, and Howells has vowed to contribute 10 per cent of the proceeds to his local community.
Howells’ ongoing battle
Howells has been asking Newport City Council since 2013 for permission to search the landfill, but the council has refused, citing environmental regulations. Despite this, Howells remains determined to recover the Bitcoin.
Ms Eddy-Evans, a mother of two, remarked, “Part of me thinks the council should let the tip site be dug up, it’s not helping his mental health with the thoughts of sitting in a fortune he can’t get. But the other part thinks for him just to drop it and let it go.”
While the legal battle continues, Eddy-Evans says she hopes her ex finds the Bitcoin, not for money but to stop him from constantly talking about it.
(With inputs from agencies)