Half a Billion in Bitcoin, Lost in the Dump

Plus: the year in New Yorker photography; the Federal Reserve battles Omicron and inflation; and Andy Warhol’s religious journey. View in browser | Update your preferences Tuesday, December 7, 2021 In today’s newsletter: • Jerome Powell faces Omicron and inflation • The year in New Yorker photography • Andy Warhol’s religious journey Half a Billion in Bitcoin, Lost in the Dump For years, a Welshman who threw away the key to his cybercurrency stash has been fighting to excavate the local landfill. Illustration by Carl Burton The tale of James Howells, a man who tossed a hard drive containing the unique chain of sixty-four numbers and letters needed to access what has turned out to be a Bitcoin fortune, is at once notably modern and timeless. As D. T. Max writes in this week’s issue, “a stupendous fortune had, against the longest odds, passed into his hands, and now it was gone.” That fortune was lost not because of avarice or criminality but, instead, owing to a few mundane household decisions—imagine losing your keys, if your keys were irreplaceable and worth millions. And although Howells may seem uniquely cursed as the Job of the crypto age, you may be surprised to learn just how many bitcoins have been lost forever to the digital ether. It’s the kind of dizzying story that will leave you asking, “What would I do?” —Ian Crouch, newsletter editor Read “Half a Billion in Bitcoin, Lost in the Dump.” Editor’s Pick Photograph by Neil Winokur The Year in New Yorker Photography Actors, insurrectionists, natural wonders, scenes of joy and grief—and Milo the cat. View a gorgeous collection of the magazine’s most striking photographs from 2021. Photograph by Nicholas Albrecht for The New Yorker and Photograph by Piczo for The New Yorker. From the News Desk Our Columnists As Omicron Spreads, Jerome Powell Is in the Hot Seat The Federal Reserve chair is attempting a feat that Alan Greenspan and Ben Bernanke failed spectacularly to pull off. By John Cassidy A Reporter at Large The Accidental Revolutionary Leading Belarus’s Uprising How Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya came to challenge her country’s dictatorship. By Dexter Filkins From the Archive Cultural Comment The Critic Who Convinced Me That Criticism Could Be Art From 2016: Reading Greg Tate, who has died, I was drawn to his sense of otherness; he wrote from a perspective that felt both inside and outside. By Hua Hsu Culture Dept. Books What Was So Special About Greta Garbo? An enigma onscreen and off, the actress only magnified her celebrity by suddenly renouncing it. By Margaret Talbot Culture Desk Andy Warhol’s Religious Journey When the artist was shot point-blank at the Factory, in 1968, it was a turning point in his life. By Paul Elie Musical Events Ash Fure’s “Hive Rise” Is a Visceral Experience in Sound The installation envelops you in ferocious bass frequencies—but it’s no dance party. By Alex Ross Fun & Games Dept. Name Drop Play Today’s Quiz Can you guess the notable person in six clues or fewer? By Matt Jackson Daily Shouts Questions I’ve Texted My Dad Can you send me Aunt Kathy’s cell number? Can you send me my cell number? By Maeve Dunigan Daily Cartoon Tuesday, December 7th By Ali Solomon P.S. The famed Bemelmans Bar, at the Carlyle Hotel, has been taken over by Gen Z scenesters, according to the New York Post. The cartoonists Roz Chast and Emily Flake recently spent an afternoon there, sipping non-alcoholic drinks and looking at the wall drawings by the “Madeline” artist Ludwig Bemelmans—but reporting no evidence of cool-kid colonization. Today’s newsletter was written by Ian Crouch. Thanks for reading. Let us know your thoughts about today’s edition. Plus, browse more newsletters and invite a friend to sign up for The Daily. You’re receiving this e-mail because you signed up for The Daily from The New Yorker. Manage your preferences | View our Privacy Policy | Unsubscribe Copyright © Condé Nast 2021. One World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007. All rights reserved.