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One man’s garbage could potentially be incoming US president Donald Trump’s treasure.A British punter who mistakenly dumped a hard drive containing £598 million (CAD$$1.05 billion) worth of Bitcoin more than a decade ago has turned to incoming US president-elect Donald Trump for offering him a share of the fortune if he can help resolve the legal and logistical hurdles preventing its recovery.James Howells, 39, from Newport, Wales, accidentally threw out the hard drive in 2013 containing the key to 8,000 Bitcoins during a household cleanup. At the time, Bitcoin’s value was negligible, but the cryptocurrency’s meteoric rise has since made the lost disc drive a potential billion-pound then, Howells has spent a decade campaigning to excavate the landfill where he believes the hard drive lies, even pledging to fund the costly operation and donate 10% of any recovered Bitcoin to the local community. Despite these offers, Newport City Council repeatedly refused, citing environmental concerns and legal ownership of the landfill week, his legal battle ended in defeat when ‘Technology and Construction’ court Judge Keyser KC of the Cardiff High Court ruled there were no “reasonable grounds” for the claim and dismissing the case before a full trial could take ruling cites the Control of Pollution Act 1974, which states that "anything delivered to the authority by another person in the course of using the facilities shall belong to the authority and may be dealt with accordingly."Howells expressed frustration with the ruling, calling it “gut-wrenching.” He lamented not being given a proper opportunity to argue his case and claimed the council was prioritizing bureaucracy over a potentially transformative financial windfall for the , Howells is appealing directly to Donald Trump, calling him a “smart businessman” who might recognize the opportunity. “I would certainly cut Trump in on the deal if he could help,” Howells said. “What is buried there will be worth billions. How can that just be left lying there?”Howells also criticized the court for refusing to acknowledge his ownership of the Bitcoin, a decision that dashed his hopes of “tokenizing” the lost coins as a new digital asset linked to their wallet address..“I’m appealing to anyone with influence, but especially Trump. This ruling has taken everything from me, but maybe someone with the power to cut through the madness can help,” he City Council has defended its position, emphasizing that excavation is not permissible under its environmental permit and that the operation could pose significant environmental risks. A spokesperson stated: “The council has told Mr. Howells multiple times that excavation is not possible… his claim has no merit, and the council is vigorously resisting it.”As the 39-year-old faces the harsh reality that his decade-long battle may be over, he remains resolute in his belief that the lost Bitcoin represents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity — not just for him but for the community. It wasn’t immediately clear how much he offered The Donald or what the 47th president would do with it. Trump is expected to create a USD$1 billion national Bitcoin reserve via executive order on his first day in office after his inauguration on Monday.
