The Person Who Found Forrest Fenn’s Treasure Has Come Forward

For years, treasure seekers have flocked to the Rocky Mountains to try their luck at finding Forrest Fenn's hidden fortune. After surviving a terminal illness diagnosis, Fenn decided he wanted to inspire others to go out and experience life. Fenn published his memoir in 2010 that included a poem that gave clues to where he stashed a treasure chest filled with various items worth millions. Fenn said he went out into the great outdoors and hid the treasure for some lucky person to find.

While his intentions were good, the treasure hunt turned alarming after people began threatening Fenn and his family and also trying to kidnap him to find the location of the treasure. Sadly, five of the treasure hunters also lost their lives while out looking for the gold. Then in June of this year, we got the news that someone had finally found the treasure. The story continued, with Fenn and the mysterious treasure finder being sued by another treasure seeker, Barbara Anderson, saying that she was the real winner and that someone stole her clues. There are plenty of twists and turns to the story and now we finally know the identity of the man who discovered the treasure since he is being named in the lawsuit.

The 32-year-old Jack Stuef has come forward as the lucky person who found Fenn's treasure. Stuef says the chest was hidden somewhere in the Wyoming wilderness. The treasure was largely thought to have been hidden somewhere in the Rocky Mountain range, which spans an immense 3,000 mile from Northern New Mexico all the way into Canada. Stuef says he will keep the exact location a secret, to keep the area from being mobbed by tourists. Stuef met with Fenn before he died and there are pictures that show himself, Fenn, and the treasure chest together. Fenn passed away in September at the age of 90. Stuef initially wanted his identity to be kept a secret, however, due to Anderson's lawsuit, his name was going to be released and he decided to come forward. You can read more from Stuef in his own words about his decision why he decided to come forward with his article on Medium and his interview on Outside Online.