How a meteorite strike made a millionaire out of a carpenter

The meteorite weighed 2.1 kg and boasted an age of approximately 4.5 billion years. (Image: @josua.d.hutg/Facebook)

In the blink of an eye, Josua Hutagalung's life was transformed from the mundane to the extraordinary when a meteorite crashed into his house. Josua's close encounter with celestial rock changed his fortune for the better. This extraordinary story unfolds in the remote village of Kolang, North Sumatra, where an unassuming man became an instant millionaire in 2020.

It all began with a deafening explosion that shook Josua's house in 2020. He was working on a coffin in front of his house when the meteorite struck. "It was too hot to pick up so my wife dug it out with a hoe and we took it inside,” the carpenter said.

"When I lifted it, the stone was still warm. 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," he recalls.

The realization dawned on him: this was no ordinary rock. "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," he said.

The meteorite that Josua unwittingly possessed turned out to be more valuable than anyone could have imagined. Classified as a CM1/2 carbonaceous Chondrite, an extremely rare variety, it carried a hefty price tag. This ancient space rock weighed 2.1 kg and boasted an age of approximately 4.5 billion years. It was a meteorite of unprecedented rarity, with a price to match.

Josua was rewarded handsomely for his unexpected visitor. Reports suggest that he received a sum equivalent to 30 years' worth of salary, an astonishing windfall that has now reshaped his future.

The sudden influx of wealth has enabled Josua to make a positive impact on his local community and built a church. He also got the privilege of early retirement, a notion that once seemed distant and unattainable.

Part of the meteorite found its way into the hands of US meteorite expert Jared Collin.

"I carried as much money as I could muster and went to find Josua, who turned out to be a canny negotiator," Collin shared.

The pull of the meteorite brought scientists, experts, and collectors together, bound by the desire to unlock the secrets of a 4.5-billion-year-old relic during the testy Covid pandemic times.