He invested just $27 in Bitcoin as a student — years later, he’s stunned by the windfall.

Kristoffer Koch. Credit: KristofferKoch/Chesnot

A Forgotten Investment Changes Everything

Most of us dream about stumbling into millions by accident. For Kristoffer Koch, that dream came true.

It All Started with a School Project

In 2009, Koch was a 25-year-old student curious about emerging technologies. While researching digital currencies for a class assignment, he discovered Bitcoin. Intrigued, he decided to invest just $27—though some reports say it may have been as little as $22.

5,000 Bitcoins for $27

Koch bought 5,000 Bitcoins, inspired by Satoshi Nakamoto’s 2008 white paper. At the time, the cryptocurrency had little value or use. Koch even joked that “the only thing you could buy was alpaca socks.” With no practical purpose, he soon forgot about the coins and moved on with life.

“I just went on with my life and focused on finding a real job,” he later told Binance Feed.

Years Later, a Shocking Discovery

Four years passed. In 2013, headlines about Bitcoin’s soaring value caught Koch’s attention. Curious, he tracked down his old digital wallet—and was stunned to find it was now worth $850,000.

From $27 to Millions

If Koch had held on to all 5,000 Bitcoins until today, his original investment would now be worth around $594.5 million—a mind-blowing 22 million percent return.

One Problem: The Forgotten Password

There was just one issue. Koch had forgotten his wallet password. Luckily, he managed to recover it and access his crypto fortune.

Cashing In and Moving On

That same year, Koch sold one-fifth of his Bitcoins, paid taxes, and bought a luxury apartment in Oslo. The rest? If untouched, it would now be valued at over $475 million.

Reflecting on a Wild Ride

Looking back, Koch described the experience as surreal:

“Not in my wildest dreams could I have imagined that they would have soared like this. It’s bizarre, these psychological reflexes that make us attach a value to something that doesn’t have any in itself.”