You are not the first case to look for your lost treasure,
he is not trying to search for his lost treasure
read between the lines.
several people have told him the hard facts about real historical events of bitcoin and (lack of)available exchanges in that era
which he has ignored(had no interest in acknowledging/accepting as truth)
he has instead doubled-trippled down that his made up narrative is the version of history he wants to follow.
his version of events do not align with reality.