In a significant legal battle, IT engineer James Howells from Newport is pursuing a claim against the Newport Municipal Council for an astounding £495 million (approximately $647 million) after inadvertently discarding a hard drive that contained a staggering 8,000 bitcoins. This incident dates back to 2013, when Howells mistakenly disposed of the device during a routine household cleanup. Since then, the value of his lost bitcoins has skyrocketed to nearly £500 million, igniting his attempts to recover the asset from a local landfill site. Despite his persistent requests, the council has consistently barred him from accessing the site, leaving Howells to navigate this complex legal maze in hopes of reclaiming what he believes is rightfully his. This case underscores the challenges associated with cryptocurrency ownership and asset recovery.
Source: https://en.coinotag.com/breakingnews/it-engineer-sues-newport-council-for-495-million-over-lost-hard-drive-containing-8000-bitcoins/