British man threw out $7.5M worth of bitcoins

[SLM]

British man threw out $7.5M worth of bitcoins

QMI Agency

Nov 28, 2013 , Last Updated: 2:47 PM ET

A British man is kicking himself for throwing out a hard drive in the summer, just now remembering he had the password to a digital wallet with about $7.5 million worth of bitcoins on it.
Bitcoin is a digital currency. It reached its highest value on Wednesday, topping $1,000.
"You know when you put something in the bin and in your head say to yourself, 'That's a bad idea'? I really did have that," James Howells told the Guardian newspaper.
Howells said he "mined" the coins in 2009 when the currency wasn't so well-known. He stored the private key to his wallet on the hard drive. Without it, he cannot access his 7,500 bitcoins.
He said he's been to the landfill where his hard drive is likely under three or four feet of garbage, but said it would cost too much to dig in the area where it might be, especially if he came up empty-handed.


British man threw out $7.5M worth of bitcoins


I'd be at the dump day and night until I found the damned thing. 7.5 million? You don't walk away from that, they carry you away from that. 8O

 

[MHz]

How could you not remember that much money and that it is on a harddrive. I'm thinking that that amount is pocket change to the guy.

 

[petros]

I'd be at the dump day and night until I found the damned thing. 7.5 million? You don't walk away from that, they carry you away from that. 8O

Bitcoin to biscotti says somebody on the recycling sort lines is one lucky bastard.

 

[SLM]

How could you not remember that much money and that it is on a harddrive. I'm thinking that that amount is pocket change to the guy.

It's only the pass code that's on the hard drive. And they weren't worth that much when he tossed the hard drive.

 

[petros]

It's a strange world when imaginary money and World of Warcraft gold really have tangible value.

 

[MHz]

World of Warcraft gold really have tangible value.

My Grandson used to make accounts and run them up to where people were more than willing to buy it for several hundred. No idea how many hours it took.

 

[shadowshiv]

"Farming", as the term is called, is a practice that causes accounts to be banned if they are determined to be doing it. I believe World Of Warcraft is one such game that does this, but I am not sure of what others do this as well. I believe that in China, they would use "slave labour" to "farm" the gold, and would get paid a pittance in relation to the amount of gold they farmed, and that is one of the reasons they "outlawed" this practice.