A Coffin Maker Becomes a Millionaire Overnight Thanks to a 2.1 kg Meteorite That Fell Through His Roof.
Josua Hutagalung, 33 years old, was making a coffin next to his house when a meteorite flew through the porch of his living room in Kolang, North Sumatra. The 2.1 kg meteorite created a large hole in the tin roof and landed in a 15 cm deep hole on the ground inside the house. Meteorites are valued by weight, with the cheapest ones made entirely of rock priced at 0.5 – 5 USD/g, while rare metallic meteorites can be worth up to 1,000 USD/g.
The meteorite left a large hole in the roof. (Video: Josua Hutagalung).
Josua dug the meteorite out of the hole. He noticed it was still warm and partially shattered upon contact. Experts estimate that this meteorite is about 4.5 billion years old, belongs to the CM1/2 carbon chondrite group, a rare variant, and is valued at 1.85 million USD.
“The meteorite made such a loud noise that many places in the house shook. After searching, I saw the roof had a hole. I am sure the stone is a meteorite that fell from above because there is no way someone could throw it into the house,” Josua said.
Local residents also heard a loud crash that shook their homes. Dozens of people flocked to Josua’s house to see the rare object. He mentioned he would allocate part of the meteorite sale proceeds to build a local church.
American meteorite expert Jared Collins took the stone back to the U.S. to deliver it to the buyer, collector Jay Piatek in Indianapolis, according to the Lunar and Planetary Institute in Texas. Three other fragments of the meteorite were found in nearby areas in August 2020, one of which was discovered in a field less than 3 km from Josua’s home.
Josua Hutagalung and the rare large meteorite. (Photo: East News Press Agency).
The Meteorite, Named Kolang, had a total weight of 2.5 kg before breaking. It is dark gray and black with bright speckles. Thomas Djamaluddin, head of the National Aeronautics and Space Agency, confirmed that this is a stony meteorite. Incidents of meteorites falling in residential areas are extremely rare. The number of meteorites from the formation period of the solar system in the universe is vast, with most falling in remote locations such as oceans, jungles, or deserts.
The Man is Reported to Have Received an Amount Equivalent to 30 Years of His Salary
Although the exact amount Josua received has not been disclosed, it is estimated to be around 30 years of his salary based on the value of the meteorite.
Despite the meteorite’s estimated value reaching millions of USD, some sources speculate that Josua sold it to Jared for about 14,000 USD. However, Jared stated that both figures are false and that no meteorite worth millions of USD currently exists, nor is there a collector willing to pay such a huge sum for a meteorite. Since there was an agreement between Josua and the buyer to keep the sale price confidential, the exact value remains undisclosed.
However, Josua has mentioned that the money will change his life. As a father of three sons, he hopes to have a daughter. Now, thanks to the meteorite, Josua believes he can finally afford to take care of his family.
