'This battle is my 9 to 5 - I won't stop until I have my £620m of Bitcoin back'

James Howells, a resident of Newport, has been on a long and challenging quest for over a decade. He is trying to recover a hard drive that contains a significant amount of Bitcoin, which is now worth hundreds of millions of pounds. The hard drive ended up in a landfill, and despite facing many obstacles, James is determined to retrieve it. He stated, 'This is my job, if you will. My 9 to 5,' and he is resolute in his mission. The value of the Bitcoin on that hard drive has skyrocketed to approximately £620 million, making it worthwhile for James to focus his efforts on this endeavor. He was an early adopter of Bitcoin, having mined it back in 2009 when it was not as valuable as it is today. Unfortunately, in 2013, his ex-partner accidentally discarded the hard drive, which contained 8,000 bitcoins, and it ended up in a landfill owned by Newport City Council. James has repeatedly sought permission from the council to search for the hard drive, even offering them a share of the Bitcoin if he successfully recovers it. However, last month, a High Court judge dismissed his attempts to access the landfill or receive £495 million in compensation, stating there were no reasonable grounds for his claim and no realistic chance of success at a full trial. Undeterred, James is now planning to represent himself in a case at the Court of Appeal, utilizing artificial intelligence to assist him in his legal arguments. He described AI as 'an absolutely amazing technology' that has helped him better understand the legal processes involved. He believes he has several solid legal grounds for his case, which he hopes to present in person. One of the key arguments in his case will focus on the council's plans to close the landfill site, which he argues should have been disclosed during the High Court trial. He believes that this information is crucial and that the judge should have been made aware of it. James also argues that if he were allowed to buy and excavate the site, it would save the council significant maintenance costs once the site closes. He stated, 'Every single piece would be extracted or recycled, and at the end of the process, we would have a hard drive in our hands - and we would also have an empty landfill.