Well, this man became an instant millionaire after a meteor worth $1.8 million crashed through the roof of his house in Indonesia.
After the space rock crashed into Josua Hutagalung’s home in Kolang, North Sumatra, it was discovered that it weighed 2.1kg and is around 4.5 billion years old.
According to the Metro, the meteor is classified as CM1/2 carbonaceous Chondrite, an extremely rare variety – which makes it worth an incredible amount.
As a result, Josua was reportedly given equivalent to 30 years’ salary for the rock. Alright for some, eh?
Speaking to local media in 2020, he said: “When I lifted it, the stone was still warm and I brought it into the house. The sound was so loud that parts of the house were shaking too. And after I searched, I saw that the tin roof of the house had broken.
“I strongly suspect that this rock is indeed an object from the sky that many people call a meteorite. Because it is impossible someone deliberately threw it or dropped it from above.”
The money has given Josua enough to build a church in his local community, while also providing the finances for a rather early retirement.
“I was working on a coffin near the street in front of my house when I heard a booming sound that made my house shake. It was as if a tree had fallen on us,” he said.
Josua sold part of the rock to US meteorite expert Jared Collin, who said at the time of his purchase: “My phone lit up with crazy offers for me to jump on a plane and buy the meteorite. It was in the middle of the Covid crisis and frankly it was a toss-up between buying the rock for myself or working with scientists and collectors in the US.
“I carried as much money as I could muster and went to find Josua, who turned out to be a canny negotiator.”
