He saved himself, or BTC saved him??

[KiaKia]

I never thought I would witness something like this unfold in real life, especially close to home.

I have an uncle who has always loved technology. That's all I really knew about him when I was younger. He was a government worker at the time, and everything seemed fine. He was married with two kids, and life was going well until he had an accident.

The accident cost him both of his legs. Since then, his wife took over everything, and they moved far away from us, which caused our relationship to fade. Now, all we do is talk on the phone.

The last time I heard anything about him was when my mom told me that his wife had divorced him. He had no money or means to take care of his family which lead to the divorce but he did do something right.

In those days when we used to discuss technology, he mined Bitcoin (BTC) in an old pool. He referred to his mining rig as the "7970." However, since the value of Bitcoin wasn't very high at the time, he just left it in an old wallet.

A few days ago, he called my mom, saying he needed to speak to me. I later got in touch with him, and he asked me how to import his BTC private key. He said, "Do you remember that I mined Bitcoin with the 7970?" I replied yes, and he mentioned he didn't know how to import the key.

He was quite sure that he had something left in the wallet. After helping him out, I discovered he had 0.48 BTC in there. This has saved him, I believe. He wanted to send me something as a thank-you, but I refused because he needed the money more than I did.

His son doesn't look back, the daughter married to another man and they are out of the country. I hope we don’t end up having children who will never look back and take care of us in the future.

Please understand that I don’t like discussing my family online, but this experience has been surprising and provided a valuable lesson. It's a reminder for those who are taking care of their families without planning for their own futures. Your partner can leave you, your child can become indifferent, so always have something set aside just in case.

[Reatim]

In those days when we used to discuss technology, he mined Bitcoin (BTC) in an old pool. He referred to his mining rig as the "7970." However, since the value of Bitcoin wasn't very high at the time, he just left it in an old wallet.

is this 7970 a reference to Radeon 7970 HD that is a graphics card by AMD released back in 2011? is so, the story is plausible

we have seen many times here in the forum people sharing inspiring stories that sound a bit too good to be true but this one seems really legitimate

He was quite sure that he had something left in the wallet. After helping him out, I discovered he had 0.48 BTC in there. This has saved him, I believe. He wanted to send me something as a thank-you, but I refused because he needed the money more than I did.

yeah 0.48 back then would have been very cheap but now it is almost $40k usd with the price of bitcoin now it’s really fortunate that he was able to still access his bitcoin because a lot of people were not able to do so anymore due to carelessness and lack of technological knowledge

[Churchillvv]

 I will say that "Bitcoin didn't save him" rather he saved him
self through Bitcoin"

The story only tells one thing which is "plan for your unforseen circumstances" Emergency funds, Reserved funds, Retirement plans etc you should have them ready to speak for you at every stance.

Also have it in mind that nobody owes you nothing, not even your kids, trying to put your life in their hands as your investment is only a matter of responsibility but your bank, your kids are not bank or investment that will save you from crashing situations.

[Catenaccio]

In those days when we used to discuss technology, he mined Bitcoin (BTC) in an old pool. He referred to his mining rig as the "7970." However, since the value of Bitcoin wasn't very high at the time, he just left it in an old wallet.

A few days ago, he called my mom, saying he needed to speak to me. I later got in touch with him, and he asked me how to import his BTC private key. He said, "Do you remember that I mined Bitcoin with the 7970?" I replied yes, and he mentioned he didn't know how to import the key.

It can be this graphic card.
https://www.techpowerup.com/gpu-specs/radeon-hd-7970.c296

The time of its launch is quite fit with your uncle's early mining activity.

The Radeon HD 7970 was a high-end graphics card by AMD, launched on December 22nd, 2011

If he can mine bitcoin, I think he is technical enough to search on how to import Bitcoin private key, and do it by himself.

He can try with this guide.
Importing your private keys into Electrum.

Depends on script types, he has to use either one of three formats.
p2pkh:privatekey for address starts with 1
p2wpkh-p2sh:privatekey for address starts with 3
p2wpkh:privatekey for address starts with bc1

Because it is in 2011, the first format can be used as there was no 3 and bc1 address types in 2011.

[Frankolala]

If he can mine bitcoin, I think he is technical enough to search on how to import Bitcoin private key, and do it by himself.

A lot has changed since 2011 till now in wallets. OP has already helped him out and that was why the man called his nephew the OP. This is another motivation for people to invest in bitcoin and hodli for long. You don't know what that your little $5,$10 and so on will accumulate to in future. It might be what will be your back bone when all hope is lost. Start investing in bitcoin, if you haven't.

[Despairo]

He saved himself because he mined the coins and still have the seed phrase. I would say BTC saved him if someone donate him with Bitcoin.

Now look, that's why most people choose to not share their seed phrase to anyone.

It looks stupid and pointless to have a lot of money but you didn't inherit your money to anyone else, but what if you experience like the uncle from @OP story? his wife divorce him and there's no child looking back at him.

Imagine working for 20 years, have a big responsibility and get pressure by your wife everyday, even you've tried your best to reach your wife standard, once you failed and almost have no way to comeback, they can easily abandon you alone.

Who do you entrust your seeds to?
Family (parents, children, spouse, husband ...)    - 10 (35.7%)
a friend / friends    - 0 (0%)
administration (bank, notary, etc.)    - 2 (7.1%)
nobody    - 16 (57.1%)
   
Total Voters: 25

[Dr.Bitcoin_Strange]

Sometimes too, it might not be that the children doesn't want to take care of their parents but the question is, are they themselves financially stable enough to be able to extend a helping hand to their parents or anyone else? Maybe the son doesn't have enough to sustain himself before thinking of the dad or perhaps the wife have turned them against him. Parents have needs to also plan for their own future after retirement or in case of any bad situation, so that they will still have something to fall back at.

[Marvelockg]

i bet at the time of mining the bitcoin, he possibly did not know that a time as this will come when the little thing he did years back will turn out to become something really good and of high value like what he currently own now. his case might just be a case of investing without knowing that you have actually invested but it still has a valuable lesson in it, and it is that investing for the future can save you in a manner you least expect.

to have 0.48BTC you never thought is still available is something that is enough to change a lot about the way he lives the rest of his life regardless of his health condition. with that amount, the latter end of his life won't be as boring and devastating as it should have been even with the absent of his children. bitcoin in combination with fate actually saved him.

[JoyMarsha]

This is a clear reminder that we should always have our future at heart in whatever we do. Don't let taking care of your family's needs and wants make you not think of your own self in the future. What will you hold onto for financial support when you're old. Those you labor for won't be there for you as always; they have their own life to live, as you have yours.

It is better to begin on time to have that thought in mind so that you won't be caught off-guard when unknown circumstances happen before or during old age. Because the investment you made for yourself is totally yours unless you choose to give away the ownership to someone else. Apart from that you are the sole owner of it. That will be what will save you when everyone leaves or you are no longer strong enough to provide for yourself

[Marvell1]

Sometimes too, it might not be that the children doesn't want to take care of their parents but the question is, are they themselves financially stable enough to be able to extend a helping hand to their parents or anyone else? Maybe the son doesn't have enough to sustain himself before thinking of the dad or perhaps the wife have turned them against him. Parents have needs to also plan for their own future after retirement or in case of any bad situation, so that they will still have something to fall back at.

If you think that only when you are financially stable or rich, you will think about repaying your parents. I bet you will never repay your parents because you can't be sure when you will be rich and whether your parents will wait for you until then. To me, personal finances are not a reason or barrier that prevents us from showing filial piety to our parents. Because parents don't need you to give them a lot of money, what they need is for you to be there for them no matter what happens.

Through this story, we are reminded that we should always have a backup plan for ourselves instead of thinking that we can rely on our loved ones. But I will not lose faith or doubt my loved ones because of this story. The world will have this person and that person and the man in this story is just the unlucky one.

In my village and those 3 people are my close friends. Their father is sick and bedridden but his wife and 3 children have taken care of him for more than 15 years without a single complaint. They were willing to sacrifice their youth to take care of their sick father, which shows that not everyone is as cruel and heartless as the wife and children in OP's story.

[348Judah]

Just know that everyone cannot be in the same condition of your brother, all women cannot be the same as well, we don't know what the wife has already planted in the heart of the children against their Dad, also, not everything is about money, we need affection, love, care and have to be compassionate, but it's a pity that not all the people have all these on their minds, she thinks she's a smart, but if the man could proof them all wrong, then he should decide to marry another woman and then invest heavily on her, make her reputable and also teach her about bitcoin, this could change the entire story around till the news got to the family and they feels bad and intimidated.

[GideonGono]

I will say that "Bitcoin didn't save him" rather he saved him
self through Bitcoin"

The story only tells one thing which is "plan for your unforseen circumstances" Emergency funds, Reserved funds, Retirement plans etc you should have them ready to speak for you at every stance.

Yes it is important to secure your future, save as much as you can, invest as much as you can while you can earning.
Always have a back up plan when it comes to financial matters, don't settle for single income, have as much as you can handle.

Also have it in mind that nobody owes you nothing, not even your kids, trying to put your life in their hands as your investment is only a matter of responsibility but your bank, your kids are not bank or investment that will save you from crashing situations.

Many parents have done this or still doing it, making their kids as an investment or retirement funds.
This tradition should be cut down, cause parents are responsible for their kids future and it isn't an investment that should give them ROI when their kids started to earn.

[Davidvictorson]

The moral of the story for me is to start early. You may not understand it then but just start. In the early days of bitcoin mining bitcoin wasn't so popular in my country. And at the time it became popular, the cost of kicking it off was discouraging because aside the purchase of the equipment, you have to factor in the operation cost that would be incurred. In those day, a better option was buying bitcoin. Those who bought it then bought them cheap and held for a long time without getting distracted with getting into trading or hold. It was simply buy and hold. It paid off. They became rich.

[Majestic-milf]

The moral of the story for me is to start early. You may not understand it then but just start. In the early days of bitcoin mining bitcoin wasn't so popular in my country. And at the time it became popular, the cost of kicking it off was discouraging because aside the purchase of the equipment, you have to factor in the operation cost that would be incurred. In those day, a better option was buying bitcoin. Those who bought it then bought them cheap and held for a long time without getting distracted with getting into trading or hold. It was simply buy and hold. It paid off. They became rich.

You're right. Who knew if the uncle had started mining Bitcoin as a hobby back then and may have been told to leave it but good thing he continued on with this. It's sad that the wife had to wait for a bad situation to hit him before she left him which just went on to tell us that she had been with him just because things were all rosy and sweet.
 I also believe that the uncle saved himself by thinking ahead by venturing into Bitcoin mining as I'm sure it wasn't that costly during his time unlike now where to get a good mining equipment will cost a lot.

[KiaKia]

He saved himself because he mined the coins and still have the seed phrase. I would say BTC saved him if someone donate him with Bitcoin.

Now look, that's why most people choose to not share their seed phrase to anyone.

It looks stupid and pointless to have a lot of money but you didn't inherit your money to anyone else, but what if you experience like the uncle from @OP story? his wife divorce him and there's no child looking back at him.

Imagine working for 20 years, have a big responsibility and get pressure by your wife everyday, even you've tried your best to reach your wife standard, once you failed and almost have no way to comeback, they can easily abandon you alone.

Who do you entrust your seeds to?
Family (parents, children, spouse, husband ...)    - 10 (35.7%)
a friend / friends    - 0 (0%)
administration (bank, notary, etc.)    - 2 (7.1%)
nobody    - 16 (57.1%)
   
Total Voters: 25

The comments I've seen here are making me feel even sadder; reality hits differently, brother.

You can never predict what the end will be. Men are facing a lot in this world, and it would be wise for them to look deep before making decisions. I believe my uncle must have seen some warning signs but chose to ignore them.

This is why my father used to say it's sometimes better to act as if you're really down for your family—so you can see who truly cares. Most people don't genuinely care; they only pretend to because of what they can still gain from you.

Men are often valued based on what they provide, and I’m tired of this mentality. This is why I’ve chosen to help men; they need support more than women do. Society often shows pity for women while telling men to "man up," as if they don't realize that men face many challenges too.

What happened to my uncle opened my eyes. Some family members revealed their true colors after the incident too, he is just lucky that he mined the BTC and still have his key, many lost theirs as years go by.

[Tungbulu]

That’s one crazy story. I hear stuffs like this happening everyday, this is one of the reasons I’m always of the opinion that, if not for unforeseen circumstances and the fact that no one knows what tomorrow holds, that’s it’s best to have an emergency fund somewhere that only you know, even if you’ll have other investments that your wife or family will be aware, one should still have a locked up savings or investment somewhere only he knows. Things happen everyday, and sometimes we don’t even know who to trust, even with our finances. So the best thing I believe is to prepare for the best as well as the worst possible scenarios. Now just imagine what would’ve happened to your uncle if he didn’t have that BTC locked up somewhere, and I can bet that his wife before divorcing him, didn’t know about the BTC.

[YOSHIE]

He saved himself, or BTC saved him??

It's a life lesson that cannot be said in words, I am sad to hear the story of your uncle's life, hopefully he is given fortitude and patience in living his daily life with physical limitations due to accidents.

Life is indeed full of challenges, wife is not a definite hope for us, what else is the wife who loves us because of money, not my love, but your uncle is bitcoin saved He is where he is difficult from the economic side, especially for his daily needs now he already has more and less ($39,365) in Bitcoin, he never imagined before, I thought Good personal key Walled he was found when his wife left him, maybe another story if he found when he was with his wife.

This means that with the money in Bitcoin as long as he trades bitcoin, it has saved her child and your uncle covering her needs, I am sure if Money of ($39,365) is made for business, maybe the future will be better from the economic side, it is signed by God that has saved your uncle through Bitcoin.

[noviesol]

It’s a tough situation, and while 0.48 BTC might not fix everything, it’s comforting to have a little extra, especially when things seem to be falling apart. It won’t bring back what’s been lost, but at least it gives you one less thing to worry about.

[AprilioMP]

I always read happily every story related to Bitcoin. The more stories for me it gives me an idea of ​​how people are with their bitcoin.
Maybe this OP story is the umpteenth time that I read. For me the lesson I got was to make Bitcoin as savings from the beginning was an important action because this would be the main cause of help or solution when the situation beyond control came over.

[Zaguru12]

 I also believe that the uncle saved himself by thinking ahead by venturing into Bitcoin mining as I'm sure it wasn't that costly during his time unlike now where to get a good mining equipment will cost a lot.

Definitely agree with you that he got saved by his past actions but sincerely this wasn’t part of his plan ahead in future. For me he got redemption through bitcoin but was never planned. It was mercy that made him forgot this wallet if not he might h have withdraw those bitcoin long term ago.

Personally the lessons I learn from this story is do what others are doing in terms of new technology even if you don’t see the need to do it and always keep valuable things save,

Another big lesson is know who has access to your bitcoin back ups because imagine a scenario here where the man in question had actually giving the back up to his wife, in real scenario it would have been sensible but stories like this actually gives one reasons to doubt who you trust most of the times. I have seen people leaning towards not making their wives the access to their inheritance in case of divorce and stories like this. This story preaches need for multi sig wallet and taking of other decisions