This worker misses a treasure worth 2.3 million euros, his colleague finds the jackpot

© Ralf Geithe/Shutterstock

The line between good and bad luck can sometimes be as thin as a thread… or rather a rope. That's what we can learn from the story of the Austrian plumber who missed out on the chance of a lifetime. On November 11, 2024, while renovating a Viennese villa, he ignored what would turn out to be the jackpot. His colleague, however, was much luckier.

On the first day of work, Tobias (name changed) notices a mysterious rope protruding from the cellar floor. Without further curiosity, he shrugs his shoulders and continues his chiselling work. A decision he will bitterly regret. Because the next day, his colleague Armin, more daring, also notices this same rope. Intrigued, he decides to pull on it. Faced with resistance, he grabs a shovel and begins to dig around it.

After a few minutes of effort, the metal of his shovel hits something hard. A metal box appears, firmly embedded in the concrete. Inside, a treasure beyond belief: 30 kilos of ancient gold coins, some bearing the image of Mozart. The total value is estimated at 2.3 million euros.

Chance does things well (or badly)

“It's really incredible. I've been working on construction sites since I was 15. Every now and then, you find coins. But a discovery like this is fabulous”, Armin told the Austrian newspaper Heute. The current owner of the villa, equally astonished, claims to have never known about this treasure, which was probably hidden before the Second World War.

According to the Austrian Civil Code (as in France, by the way) such a treasure must be shared equally between its discoverer and the owner of the land. Armin can therefore expect to receive more than a million euros, a sum that will undoubtedly change his life. As for Tobias, the plumber who ignored the rope the day before, he will not receive a cent.The law is clear: only the one who makes the discovery can claim a share of the spoils. Which proves that curiosity is not necessarily such a bad fault.

• A plumber ignores a mysterious rope while working on a Viennese villa
• The next day, his more curious colleague discovers at the end of the rope a box containing 30 kg of gold coins, worth 2.3 million euros
• The discoverer and the owner will share the treasure equally, while the first plumber will get nothing

📍 To not miss any news from Presse-citron, follow us on Google News and WhatsApp.