Advertisement
Mbah Gotho is a 145-year-old man from Indonesia and currently the oldest living person on the planet.
According to Gotho’s Indonesian documents, he was born on December 31, 1870, and has outlived his ten siblings, as well as his four wives.
At present, he lives at home with his family – consisting of grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren – and passes his time with them by eating, drinking, and just spending time with them.
While he was able to walk and move without assistance for most of his life, in recent months, his condition has deteriorated. Gotho now needs to be spoon-fed and bathed by others.
Though officials have yet to confirm Gotho’s age, him and his entire family all claim that he was, in fact, born in 1870.
Holding the title of being the oldest person on the planet, however, has little appeal for Gotho.
He had a gravesite marked out and a gravestone made for himself in 1992 because he’d been preparing for death since he turned 122. “That was 24 years ago,” he notes.
“What I want is to die,” Gotho admits. “My grandchildren are all independent.”
Until then, however, Gotho lives under the tender loving care of his family and passes most of his time, just sitting with them, or listening to the radio (his eyes are no longer strong enough to allow him to comfortably watch TV).
Whenever Gotho is asked about his secret to long life, he simply replies, “The recipe is just patience.”