Twelve years after accidentally throwing away a hard drive containing 8,000 bitcoins, James Howells has reportedly given up his search for the lost fortune. The digital treasure, now valued at around $950 million, has become one of the most infamous tales in crypto history.

The incident occurred in 2013 in Newport, South Wales, when Howells, a former IT worker, mistakenly discarded the drive while clearing out his office. At the time, Bitcoin’s value was far lower—but its meteoric rise in the years since has made the missing device a modern-day legend.

Earlier this year, Howells took legal action against Newport City Council in an effort to gain access to the landfill site where he believes the hard drive lies buried. He even explored the possibility of buying the land outright to fund an extensive, high-tech search operation. But the council refused, citing environmental and public safety concerns, and Howells lost the case.

The setback appears to have marked the end of Howells’ hunt. After more than a decade of failed attempts and increasing costs, he has reportedly accepted that the drive may never be found.

Online, the story has reignited debate and disbelief. Many users on social media have dubbed it the “$950 million mistake,” while others speculate the drive’s value could surpass $8 billion by 2030 if Bitcoin continues to rise.

One user on X (formerly Twitter) wrote, “He was simply careless and took his security and circumstances for granted. Soon it’ll be a $1 billion mistake.”

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