Man offers local govt $71 million to find lost hard drive with 7,500 bitcoins in UK

Most people don’t regret throwing away trash but in this unusual case from the United Kingdom, there is every reason to regret, sob and laugh a little. A computer engineer is offering his local government USD 71 million to find his lost hard drive containing 7,500 bitcoins. worth USD 285 million.
James Howell, 35, had accidentally thrown away his hard drive containing 7,500 bitcoins worth USD 285 million in 2013.  “I had two identical hard drives and I threw out the wrong one. I know I’m not the only person who has ever thrown out the wrong thing, but it usually doesn’t cost people over £200million,” he told TechSpot.  He used to mine bitcoins back in 2009 when the cryptocurrency had no value. After a while, he gave up mining as his girlfriend was irritated with the noise of the bitcoin mining. He started to sell all the equipment but held on to the hard drive which contained his private key. A private key in bitcoin is a secret number that is used when a person wants to transfer his bitcoins.  The drive has ended up in a general waste bin, a landfill in Newport, South Wales. He has repeatedly asked the Newport city council to help him find his drive and has even offered them a 25 percent cut of 71 million from the 285 million worth of bitcoins.  However, the biggest concern is whether a hard drive which has been lost for eight years will work upon finding.