A Michigan man made a mind-blowing discovery after purchasing a second-hand sofa in December 2019; the original owner had stashed a sizeable haul of $100 bills inside one of its cushions. The buyer, motivated by a sense of moral obligation however, returned every last dollar to the owner’s family.
Kim’s family had no idea, however, that the unwanted furniture was stuffed with cash.
Kirby took his new couch home, but after several weeks of struggling to get comfortable on the ottoman, his daughter-in-law had the inspired idea to unzip the cushion cover and look inside. The pair found precisely $43,170 in mixed bills.
On Jan. 16, 2020, Habitat for Humanity organized a meeting between Kirby and Kim. In front of news cameras, Kirby handed the stack of bills to a tearful Kim, who thanked him, commenting, “It’s just crazy.”
“Why he’s got money in cushions, I don’t know,” Kim’s husband, Mike Newberry, reflected.
The family also commented on the incredible circumstances surrounding Kirby’s find, admitting that they had intended to burn the couch if the thrift store hadn’t taken it.
“It was very, very shocking to them,” said store manager Rick Merling. “I think they were hoping there might be some pictures. They would have never dreamed that it was money.”
“He could use [the money],” Merling added, reflecting on Kirby’s generosity. “He has needs, but he said he just felt this prompting from God that said, ‘This isn’t yours.’”
“What [a] great thing you did returning it,” wrote another. “I’m hoping and praying that the original owners gave that man some kind of reward for being honest!”
“It belonged to them, and I’m glad I was able to give it back to them,” Kirby explained. “As a born-again Christian, I want to do what Christ would want me to do, and I think that’s what he would want me to do.”
Merling concluded that his generous customer was simply “happy that he’s got a couch.”
