The Digital Blind Spot in Your Estate Plan: A $750 Million Reminder

Imagine standing on top of a landfill, fully aware that your $750 million fortune is buried below — but barred by law from taking a single shovel to the ground.

That’s the reality for James Howells, a 39-year-old man who says his ex-partner accidentally threw away a hard drive containing 8,000 bitcoins back in 2013. Today, his story is the subject of a new documentary series: The Buried Bitcoin: The Real-Life Treasure Hunt of James Howells.

But beyond the headline-grabbing numbers and media spectacle, his experience surfaces a quieter, more relatable issue that’s often overlooked in estate planning: digital asset readiness.