Posted on 12/09/2020 5:56:21 PM PST by rintintin
Dec. 7 (UPI) -- The treasure hunter who discovered the Forrest Fenn treasure in June identified himself Monday after heirs of the late Santa Fe art dealer announced they would be forced to reveal his identity.
Jack Steuf, a 32-year-old medical student and former journalist from Michigan identified himself in a post on Medium, after a lawsuit filed by disappointed searchers would have revealed his identity soon anyway, he said.
(Excerpt) Read more at upi.com ...
Awesome story. With the finder well
I always thought it was a hoax, an urban legend. Haven’t people died in the desert looking for it over the years?
Some people would like to know how close they came or how to match the clues to the ending and what they missed or overlooked.
As Watson would inquire of Holmes.
Incredible story. But also confirmation that there are a LOT of selfish asholes out there too.
Thank you, Iron Mike. Now, back to the Holyfield rematch.
“I always thought it was a hoax, an urban legend. Haven’t people died in the desert looking for it over the years?”
You’re thinking of the Lost Dutchman. Now THAT was a weird story.
One Hunter was not so lucky.
From a DOJ press release:
“A man claiming to have been seeking the elusive Forrest Fenn treasure has been indicted by a federal grand jury after he was found digging in the historic Fort Yellowstone Cemetery. RODRICK DOW CRAYTHORN was indicted on September 16, 2020 on charges of excavating or trafficking in archeological resources and injury or depredation to United States property.”
Hate to be cynical, but Forrest Fenn had health issues and needed money in his later years. I think if the treasure ever existed at all, he would have reclaimed it. He made millions from his overpriced book but burned through most of that money and was essentially broke. I don’t think the hidden treasure ever existed.
The supposed finder claims he hid his identity to protect his family, but Fenn was only in danger because of his supposed knowledge of where the treasure was. Millions of Americans have property worth as much as the value of this supposed treasure. Are they all in danger and need their identities hidden?
Further, there is no viable reason for not disclosing the exact location where the treasure was supposedly found and how the riddle was solved.
If this treasure is now in a vault as the supposed finder claims, I’m sure he is paying income tax on it, right? Otherwise he is committing a crime. This guy, who supposedly labored for years to find the treasure, does not want publicity or recognition or the huge money that could be made not only by selling or exhibiting the treasure but also on branding deals. No, he’s going to forgo millions to keep his supposed discovery a secret. Not buying it. Hoax.
What about the Santa Fe author who claims to have seen the treasure in its chest earlier this year?
“What about the Santa Fe author who claims to have seen the treasure in its chest earlier this year?”
Fenn? We could ask him, but he’s dead.
Why would the finder show Fenn the treasure?
Why would the finder remain anonymous, say he is a student who needs money, but NOT seek to financially exploit the treasure?
Now that his identity is known, why would he not allow media to see the treasure and seek to hype the value to sell it for the most he could?
Why would the finder not disclose where he found it and how he figured out the riddle?
Why would the finder not exploit the publicity for money if he wanted and needed the money so badly? There is probably a branding deal that is worth more than the treasure itself.
The answer to all of these is simple: He can’t because the treasure doesn’t exist.
I only learned of this treasure about a year ago because a guy I visited in jail was obsessed with it. He wanted me to take him to where he KNEW the treasure was hidden. The problem is that thousands of others have the same exact confidence they know where it was hidden and are about to be very rich. Treasure hunters are a type.
A friend who is a former investigative journalist spoke with Fenn on the phone before he died. My friend claims Fenn was interested in selling story/book/movie rights because he apparently needed the money and was broke. How is it that a man who collected valuable treasure gave away his most valuable stuff, let it sit in some undisclosed location that only he knew about, went without money that he desperately needed, and never went and reclaimed his treasure?
There will be at least one movie made about the Fenn treasure. But it is a story that isn’t over yet. I’d love to be proven wrong by this guy putting the treasure up for auction and selling branding and story rights. More likely will be that his story crumbles as he becomes entangled in litigation where he cannot lie so easily.
No, author Douglas Preston
According to the article:
“There were big gold nuggets from Alaska the size of your fist and gold coins, Krugerrands, and some little pre-Columbian statues, including a little frog,” Santa Fe author Doug Preston told UPI in February. He said he also saw “loose gems. It was like a pirate chest.”
>>>
How is it that a man who collected valuable treasure gave away his most valuable stuff, let it sit in some undisclosed location that only he knew about, went without money that he desperately needed, and never went and reclaimed his treasure?
I only learned of it sometime this past year myself, by coming across a thread on FR. Immediately the entire thing read like an allegory. As in meek and ye shall find, riches new and old... testaments. On and on. A real read-between-the-lines treasure hunt.
And now the finder is ID'd as a fellow named Jack Steuf. Yet nobody knows Jack. Or where his stuff is.
I only learned of this treasure about a year ago because a guy I visited in jail was obsessed with it. He wanted me to take him to where he KNEW the treasure was hidden.
Did he tell you where he thought it was?
I found this map. I can tell by the poem and that image and other descriptions therein exactly where to zero in.
"unlearner" -- your name is your first step out the door. :)
Douglas Preston wrote that many years ago before the treasure was supposedly hidden. He also wrote the forward to one of Fenn’s books. Maybe in on the hoax. Maybe not. But certainly unable to confirm that there was ever a hidden treasure. Fenn claimed he was the only person who knew where it was. Quite convenient.
“Did he tell you where he thought it was? I found this map. I can tell by the poem and that image and other descriptions therein exactly where to zero in.”
The guy planned a road trip and said he would give me the exact location when we were hitting the road. I declined.
These types of stories suck people in the same way as betting on the lottery or doing other types of gambling. It appeals to our human weakness for wanting to get-rich-quick.
If a person wants to make a lot of money from this type of quest, the best ways to do it are to write the quest or a story about the quest, and sell the book/screenplay. This is a lot easier and more certain than chasing a hidden treasure that may be nothing more than an empty box. Maybe less.
That's exactly right. But the treasure search is real. The clues are real. It's a living parable. Like the guy named "Steuf". Nobody knows Jack or his stuff because it's a word play on stuff and staff. Even "stiff".
Even a link within this article goes to the previous story about the death of Forrest Fenn. He died on Sept 7 (Chai Elul), but that story is dated Sept 9th. Same info as the many map and poem clues, even down to the unitless scale that ends at 120.
"You'll find no X on this map."
Heh, that right there is a big clue where to look.
"It's incredibly generous to leave a chest full of gold out in the wilderness for someone to find," Steuf wrote.
Seems like Fenn might have collected a lot of touristy stuff over the years through his travels that he considered treasure. The whole treasure hunt thing is a metaphor for life... you spend your whole life chasing money and in the end... when you finally get it.. what do you have? You missed the whole journey... maybe this guy did find the “treasure” but soon realized it was worthless... but, he could still make money with a book deal, movie rights etc...
And that is why typing on your phone with out your bifocals doesn’t work well.
Well played.
Straight-line analysis doesn't work in every situation. People perceive similar things differently in different contexts.
For instance, Aldi charges customers 25 cents to rent a shopping cart, and the $.25 is returned when you return the cart. While it is common in our town to see stolen shopping carts from other stores out by the road, you never see an Aldi cart. Only 25 cents seems to make the difference; whereas the cost of a metal cart is around $135.
As another example, travel time seems much longer when you are going to an unknown destination than when you are returning from it to your house.
Stealing from a home, office or bank account is legal wrongdoing. Finding a treasure "costs" less emotionally because it is not illegal.
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