The Oldest Man in History Is Ready to Die
Mbah Gotho from Indonesia may hold the world record at 145 years young
August 29, 2016Mbah Gotho lives in central Java, Indonesia. His identity card lists his date of birth as December 31, 1870. Officials at the local record office have finally confirmed the date as real, making him 145 years young.
According to the Telegraph, the discovery makes Gotho the oldest living human being in recorded history. As a result, Gotho has an extremely unique set of circumstances under his belt, having outlived not only all 10 of his siblings, but also four wives, and even all of his children. His remaining living relatives are grandchildren, great grandchildren, and great-great grandchildren. Understandably, Gotho has been prepared for death for quite some time, having bought a burial site near the graves of his children in 1992: 24 years ago.
“What I want is to die. My grandchildren are all independent,” Gotho told local media this week.
With his eyesight long gone, Gotho spends most of his time listening to the radio. When asked for his secret to longevity, Gotho replied, “the recipe is just patience.”
Though the record office has confirmed the identity card birthdate, Gotho remains out of the record books until the results are independently verified. The current record for oldest living human belongs to French woman Jeanne Calment, who died at age 122 in 1997.