Former Partner Discards $716 Million Bitcoin Wallet Claiming Fatigue – Cointelegraph
Have you ever accidentally thrown away something valuable? Well, imagine tossing out a hard drive containing $716 million worth of Bitcoin! That’s exactly what happened to James Howells nearly a decade ago. His saga has captured widespread attention and led to legal battles over his lost fortune.
Howells’ former partner, Halfina Eddy-Evans, recently revealed that she disposed of the hard drive at Howells’ request. In an interview with the Daily Mail, Eddy-Evans explained that she followed Howells’ instructions and shouldn’t be blamed for the loss.
Back in 2013, Howells mistakenly threw out the hard drive while cleaning out old computer parts. Little did he know that it contained 8,000 Bitcoin that he had mined back in 2009 when each coin was worth less than a dollar. Fast forward to today, those lost assets are worth a staggering $716 million!
Despite becoming aware of the lost Bitcoin, Howells has faced roadblocks in his efforts to locate the hard drive. He appealed to Newport City Council to allow a landfill excavation, but his requests were denied due to environmental concerns and logistical challenges.
Undeterred, Howells has vowed to privately fund the excavation, offering an $11 million solution and even promising to donate a portion of the recovered funds to the council. However, the council has stated that its environmental license doesn’t permit such an operation.
This story serves as a cautionary tale about the importance of securely storing digital assets like cryptocurrencies. Whether using an online wallet or a hardware wallet, it’s crucial to keep private keys and recovery options offline to prevent loss or theft. By storing copies of this information in multiple secure locations, like safe deposit boxes or encrypted digital storage, users can help safeguard their funds and avoid financial disasters.
