What to know:

• A man claims to have lost a hard drive containing bitcoin worth $784 million, which was mistakenly discarded in 2013.
• James Howells states that his ex-girlfriend tossed the drive with 8,000 bitcoin into a landfill, and he is now seeking access to that location from local authorities.

A man who believes he left a staggering $784 million worth of bitcoin in a landfill is in talks with investors about possibly purchasing the land, according to the BBC. “I have discussed this option recently with investment partners and it is very much on the table,” stated James Howells.

Howells explained that the hard drive was thrown away by his ex-girlfriend in the Newport Docks landfill site back in 2013. Despite numerous requests to Newport Council to retrieve it over the past decade, he claims he has mostly been ignored. The council declined to provide comment on the situation.

He previously attempted to sue the council for £495 million (approximately $646 million), the assessed value of the bitcoin in early 2024, but his case was ruled unfounded by a judge in January. The council intends to close the site in the upcoming financial year, having already received the green light to construct a solar power farm on the property.