Fenn’s Millions

Forrest Fenn has led quite a life.  As a fighter pilot in Viet Nam he was shot down twice.  He became an art collector, antique dealer, and author.  His home in Santa Fe, New Mexico, is filled to the brim with collectible art from all over the world.  He became a millionaire. 

And then he was told he was dying.

——————————————

“In 1988, I was diagnosed with what everybody thought was terminal cancer,” Fenn said.  “But besides that, we were going into a recession, and lots of people losing their job, despair was written all over the headlines, and I just wanted to give some people hope.”

I can only imagine what went through his mind.  He might have thought, “All my money can’t buy me a single extra day of life.  What good has my money done anyone…anyone at all?”

I don’t really know if that’s what he thought, but Fenn came up with a plan.

He assembled a treasure.  Fenn said, “There’s 265 American gold eagles and double eagles. There’s ancient Middle Eastern gold coins. There’s hundreds and hundreds of gold nuggets, two of them as big as [a] hens egg.”  In another interview, he added, “ancient Chinese carved jade figures, Pre-Columbian gold animal artifacts, lots of rubies, emeralds, sapphires, and diamonds and other things.” 

He put the bounty in a brass box.  His idea was to hide the treasure somewhere in the mountains and give clues to the its whereabouts.  People, enticed by dreams of wealth, would read his book, “The Thrill of the Chase,” in which he gave clues on how to find the loot, and then they would embark on an adventure. 

He did, and they did.

——————————————

Fenn himself never gave a dollar amount for the box and its contents, but estimates range from $1 million to $5 million.

Yup, that much treasure could certainly turn people’s minds to adventure.

——————————————

Still in his weakened state, Fenn took two trips to hide his treasure trove, then announced that whoever found it could keep it. 

Some said it must be a hoax, but Fenn claimed, “The treasure is real.  The treasure is hidden where I put it.”

The only problem with the whole thing is that Fenn expected people to understand that there should be no danger involved.  After all, a septuagenarian with terminal cancer hid it.  How hard and dangerous could it be?

Unfortunately, many treasure hunters embarked on a hunt they were unprepared for…and didn’t plan for.  They took dangerous chances, going places which would be a challenge for even young, healthy adventurers, let alone a cancer patient in his late seventies.  Some paid the price with physical exhaustion or injury.  Others paid at the expense of their lives.  Accounts vary, but about five searchers have died over the ten years since Forrest Fenn hid the treasure.

——————————————

Yellowstone Park rangers said they have responded to at least a dozen treasure-related calls between 2013 and 2018, and would prefer that those still searching stay away.

“They’re generally unskilled, unprepared, put themselves in hazardous places, in hazardous situations and often don’t…don’t really appreciate what Yellowstone has to offer,” Chief Park Ranger Pete Webster said.

New Mexico State Police chief Pete Cassetas said in one interview that he had asked Fenn to call off the treasure hunt.   “You (Fenn) had talked about giving more clues, providing more clues to help people better find your treasure and I again I call for you to pull (remove) it,” Cassetas asked Fenn over the phone in 2017.  But while Fenn refused to give any clues to make it easier for people to find the treasure, he told Cassetas, “I’m going to give a clue to keep them out of trouble.”

At one point Fenn gave those seeking his treasure a recommendation, “People tend to over-complicate.  Try to simplify if you can.  That’s good advice.”

“Nobody should have risked their lives, but certainly there were some losses and tragic losses and I’m very sorry for that. But generally speaking, it’s been a good thing. A lot of people have really enjoyed the mountains,” Fenn said.

——————————————

Over the years, searchers came close to finding the treasure, according to Fenn, who said that someone was just 200-feet away from the location at one time. “I know exactly where they were because they told me.”

Over the years, hundreds of thousands of people have taken part in the hunt.  It had to be found someday.

Didn’t it?

——————————————

As you may have guessed already, Fenn survived his battle with cancer.  Now 89 years old, Fenn recently revealed to the Santa Fe New Mexican that he had received photos from a man who claimed to have found the box.  According to Fenn, the finder wished to remain anonymous, at least for the time being.

When asked how he felt now that the treasure has been found, Fenn told the New Mexican, “I don’t know, I feel halfway kind of glad, halfway kind of sad because the chase is over.”

OK, sounds simple enough.  Soon, the lucky treasure hunter’s name will come out and the finder will get to be a keeper.  The dust will settle and everybody will enjoy the story.

But, in 2020, things can’t be that simple.  At least two people have already filed law suits claiming that they were cheated out of a treasure that should have been theirs.

And thus it goes…

——————————————

I hope the people who have searched for the treasure won’t stop enjoying time in the outdoors.  I hope they continue to hike, and camp, and take pictures of wildlife.  I hope Mr. Fenn’s goal was met; people got out in the mountains where they developed a love and respect for the wild places.

I’ll give Forrest Fenn the final word, “It was under a canopy of stars in the lush, forested vegetation of the Rocky Mountains and had not moved since I hid it more than (10) years ago.  Look for more information (on the discovery) and photos in the coming days.”

“I congratulate the thousands of people who participated in the search and hope they will continue to be drawn by the promise of other discoveries.”

——————————————

We will, Mr. Fenn, we will.

——————————————

PLEASE SUBSCRIBE AT THE UPPER RIGHT. IT’S FREE!

You will ONLY receive notifications when I post new entries to my blog.

Go to the top of the right hand column where it says, “SUBSCRIBE TO BLOG VIA EMAIL”.  Fill in your email and hit the “Subscribe” button.  You will receive a verification email.  Please confirm that you want to subscribe by clicking, “Confirm Follow” and you will be set!  Thanks!

It doesn’t seem to work from a cell phone, only a computer.  I don’t know why.  Sorry.  If there’s a problem, send me your email address and I’ll sign you up.

——————————————