Some people lose their house keys. Others misplace their phone for five minutes and have a full-blown panic attack. But James Howells? He lost a hard drive with 8,000 Bitcoin on it—worth over $750 MILLION.
And he didn’t just misplace it. He THREW IT AWAY.
Now, he’s been digging through a landfill for 10 years trying to find it. Because sometimes, one bad decision is all it takes to ruin your entire bloodline.
Step 1: The Dumbest Way to Lose $750 Million
Back in 2013, when Bitcoin was still that “weird online money thing”, James Howells was ahead of the curve. He had been mining Bitcoin before tech bros started using it to flex on Twitter.

But then, he made the biggest mistake of his life.
While cleaning out his office, James accidentally threw his Bitcoin-loaded hard drive into the trash.
GONE. Just like that.
He only realized what he had done AFTER the garbage truck had already collected it.
The panic? Immediate.
The regret? Unbearable.
The stupidity? Generational.
Step 2: When the Trash Collectors Own Your Future
The moment James realized what happened, he did what any normal human would do:
- Searched every inch of his house. (Just in case the hard drive magically teleported back.)
- Checked his trash bin. (Spoiler: It was empty.)
- Panic-Googled: “How deep is a landfill?” and “Can I legally dig up city garbage?”
Then he made The Call.
He rang up the city’s waste management office, expecting them to be sympathetic. Instead, they hit him with a “Sir, please be serious.”
Because by that time, his $750 million mistake was already buried under thousands of tons of garbage—rotting food, broken TVs, old mattresses, and questionable things we don’t want to talk about.
The worst part? The landfill had sections. They asked him, “Sir, which specific area do you think your Bitcoin is in?”
James: “…uh, the trash area?”
City officials: “Sir, please leave our office.”
Step 3: How to Become a Landfill Billionaire
A normal person would have given up. James? Nah.
He sat down, looked at himself in the mirror, and said, “If I can’t have my money, NOBODY CAN.”
Instead of accepting defeat, he did the unthinkable:
- He wrote a full-on excavation plan to dig up the landfill.
- He pitched it to investors (yes, real people put money into this).
- He planned a full-on digging expedition using AI-powered scanning drones and robot dogs to sniff out the hard drive.
James went from tech millionaire to certified garbage mogul.
Step 4: When Your Family Starts Questioning You
While James was busy planning his landfill expedition, his family was out here thinking:
“So THIS is the son we raised?”
His mother even admitted:
💬 “At this point, I just pretend I don’t know him.”
Even his neighbors were tired. One guy literally said:
💬 “Every day, this man wakes up and chooses to fight garbage. We’re exhausted.”
Step 5: The Final Betrayal—Bitcoin Itself Said “Not Today”
James thought digging through the landfill was the only problem.
But Bitcoin itself betrayed him.
Here’s why:
Even if James miraculously found his hard drive under 100,000 tons of trash, there’s an 80% chance it’s already broken beyond repair.
Bitcoin wallets need a functioning hard drive to access the money. And guess what?
HARD DRIVES DON’T SURVIVE 10 YEARS OF RAIN, MUD, AND LANDFILL CHAOS.
At this point, even if he found it, he’d just be holding a glorified coaster.
Step 6: So What Now?
James still REFUSES to give up.
His latest plan?
- Dig through 110,000 tons of trash with industrial excavation machines.
- Use AI-powered robots to scan the garbage dump.
- Extract his hard drive, fix it, and unlock his lost fortune.
The city? Still saying NO.
His mom? Still pretending she doesn’t know him.
James? Still refusing to hear word.
At this point, he has three choices:
- Convince the city to let him dig (unlikely).
- Accept his fate and start a Bitcoin-themed bar called “The Lost Wallet.”
- Write a book about his failure and at least make money off his pain.
The Moral of the Story?
- Always double-check your trash before throwing things out. You never know which one is worth $750 million.
- Sometimes, it’s better to move on. (Or you’ll be the guy fighting garbage for a decade.)
- Bitcoin is stressful. Just invest in plantain chips.
As for James? We wish him well in his future trash-digging adventures. 🚶🏽♂️💀
Hey Luv, Wait. Feel More Crackko Vibe:
For more wild, unforgettable stories, check out The ‘Oops!’ Chronicles on Crackko.
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