World’s ‘oldest’ man just turned 146, beats curse of 2016 (VIDEO)

Against all odds, the man who claims to have survived both World Wars, multiple natural disasters, outlived his four wives, ten siblings and all of his children has somehow survived 2016 to celebrate his 146th birthday.

While not exactly looking overly enthusiastic at the thoughts of celebrating yet another birthday, Saparman Sodimejo, better known as Mbah Gotho, evaded the curse of 2016 and celebrated the occasion with his grandson’s family this New Year’s Eve in Sragen, Central Java.

“My grandchildren are all independent,” he stated in a previous interview, in which he stated that he was fully prepared to die while also revealing the secret to his longevity as “just patience.”

While official records in Indonesia do recognise Sodimejo’s age as 146, the authenticity of the claim has yet to be verified by an independent third party in order for Sodimejo to claim the official Guinness World Record.

His loving family aren’t quite so demanding and insisted upon celebrating the occasion with the appropriately adorned birthday cake, which Sodimejo also enjoyed a slice of.

While Sodimejo’s health began deteriorating earlier in 2016, he bounced back once again and even received a brand new hearing aid as part of an initiative run by The Starkey Hearing Foundation in November.

If his claims are ever verified independently, he would claim the official title of oldest person in the world, and by quite the margin too. The current record is held by Jeanne Calment, who passed away August 4, 1997, at the ripe old age of 122.