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Jack Stuef - The Treasure Hunter Who Found Forrest Fenn's Fortune

The Man Who Found Forrest Fenn's Treasure

Jul 02, 2025
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The Man Who Found Forrest Fenn's Treasure

It seems a captivating story has been unfolding, one that involves a hidden fortune, a curious riddle, and a person named Jack Stuef. For quite some time, a particular mystery kept many people quite busy, all hoping to discover a special collection of valuable items. This fortune, tucked away somewhere in the vast American wilderness, finally found its finder, and that person, as it turns out, was Jack Stuef. His discovery in 2020 brought an end to a long search that had captured the imaginations of many treasure seekers across the country.

After years of quiet searching, the person who located this famous cache, initially anonymous, eventually stepped into the public eye. This happened in 2020, and it allowed the world to put a face to the name of the individual who had successfully solved Forrest Fenn's challenging riddle. The man behind the find, Jack Stuef, actually met with the treasure's creator, Forrest Fenn, before Fenn passed away later that very year. This meeting, you know, must have been a truly remarkable moment for both of them.

The tale of Jack Stuef's discovery didn't simply end with the finding of the treasure. His journey continued with a series of events that included facing legal challenges and addressing public questions about his identity and the treasure itself. Eventually, the items he found were passed on, some sold to a private group, and others made available for purchase by the public through an online auction. It’s a story, basically, with many twists and turns, right from the initial hunt to what happened with the fortune afterwards.

Table of Contents

A Look at Jack Stuef's Background

Jack Stuef, as it turns out, is a person with a rather interesting mix of experiences. At the time of his significant find, he was, you know, a student studying medicine. This might seem a little unexpected for someone who spent so much time looking for a hidden fortune. Before he decided to pursue a medical career, he also had a past as a writer, even working for a publication called Wonkette. So, he wasn't just, say, a random person; he had a background that involved both academic pursuits and, in a way, public communication. It’s quite a combination, isn't it?

Personal Information for Jack Stuef

NameJack Stuef
Age (at time of find)32
OccupationMedical Student, Former Journalist/Writer
OriginMichigan

What drove Jack Stuef to chase the treasure?

The story of Jack Stuef's involvement with this famous treasure hunt really began in 2018. That's when he first came across a hint or a clue about the hidden fortune. This information, it seems, really got his attention and, in a way, sparked a deep interest. From that point on, the idea of finding this special collection of items became, you know, something he thought about a lot. It wasn't just a passing thought; it turned into a kind of personal quest, something he felt drawn to pursue with a lot of dedication.

His interest in the treasure grew, and he developed a strong feeling, a kind of hunch, about where it might be. This feeling was so strong, in fact, that it led him to travel to the Rocky Mountains, specifically to an area in Wyoming. He went there, basically, to see if his idea about the treasure's location would prove to be correct. It was a significant step, moving from just thinking about it to actually going to the place where he believed the fortune might be waiting.

Jack Stuef himself had some interesting things to say about his thought process. He was quoted as saying, "I figured out the location where he wished to die (and thus, where his treasure was) back in 2018." This suggests he was looking at the puzzle from a very particular angle, trying to understand the treasure creator's intentions. He also added, "but it took me many months to figure out the exact spot." This tells us that even after having a good idea of the general area, finding the precise hiding place was, you know, a much longer and more involved effort.

Jack Stuef's long search and the initial hint.

Jack Stuef spent a considerable amount of time, a full two years actually, actively searching for this secret fortune. He was out there, in the Rocky Mountains, trying to put all the pieces together, all after he first got that initial hint about the treasure in 2018. It wasn't a quick or easy search; it was a sustained effort over a significant period, showing a real commitment to the task at hand. He was, in a way, truly dedicated to finding what so many others had sought for a long time.

Even once he had a strong sense of the general area, the challenge of pinpointing the exact spot where the treasure lay was quite substantial. As he mentioned himself, it required many months of careful thought and, presumably, repeated visits to the area. This suggests that the final act of finding the treasure wasn't just a lucky break; it was the result of, basically, a lot of persistent effort and a very thorough approach to solving the puzzle that Forrest Fenn had set out for the world. It’s almost like he was solving a very complex riddle with the whole mountain range as his canvas.

How did Jack Stuef become known to the public?

Jack Stuef made the decision to make his identity known in 2020. This happened after he had a chance to meet with Forrest Fenn, the person who originally hid the treasure. It must have been, you know, a rather special moment for both individuals, the one who created the hunt and the one who finally completed it. This meeting, in some respects, seems to have been a turning point, leading Jack Stuef to feel comfortable sharing who he was with the wider public, bringing a face to the name of the successful treasure seeker.

The decision to reveal his name wasn't just a simple choice; it was also influenced by some external circumstances. There were, as a matter of fact, lawsuits and various questions being raised about the treasure and its discovery. These legal proceedings and public doubts meant that his name was likely going to become public anyway. So, he chose to disclose his identity himself, rather than having it come out through other means. It was, basically, a way for him to take control of the situation and share his story on his own terms, even amidst all the outside pressure.

The public life of Jack Stuef after his discovery.

After finding the treasure, Jack Stuef had a very specific conversation with a park official. He spoke with Yellowstone's chief ranger during a meeting held over Zoom, which is, you know, quite a modern way to share such an old-fashioned secret. During this conversation, he explained where he had, basically, buried the treasure after he found it. This was an important step, as it involved communicating with the authorities about the location of such a significant find within a national park's boundaries.

The park, for its part, has a strong desire to keep the exact spot of the treasure a secret. They want to avoid, you know, too many people trying to visit the area, which could lead to overcrowding and, potentially, damage to the natural surroundings. So, while Jack Stuef shared the location with the park officials, the general public still doesn't know the precise spot. This decision, it seems, is made with the preservation of the park in mind, aiming to protect the natural beauty and peace of the area where the treasure once rested.

Where was Jack Stuef's big discovery made?

Jack Stuef found the treasure in 2020, after what he described as years of being really focused on the hunt. The general area where he discovered it was in the Rocky Mountains, specifically within the state of Wyoming. This location had been the subject of much speculation and searching for a decade, as people tried to figure out where Forrest Fenn, the art dealer and author from Santa Fe, New Mexico, had placed his famous cache. It was, in a way, the culmination of a long and widespread search effort.

The treasure itself was described as a cache filled with gold and jewels. This collection of valuable items was hidden by Forrest Fenn back in 2010. For about ten years, the secret location of this fortune remained unknown, sparking a huge public interest and leading countless people to explore the vast landscapes of the American West. So, when Jack Stuef finally found it in 2020, it brought an end to a very long period of searching and wondering for many who had followed the story.

The spot Jack Stuef decided to keep quiet.

The hunt for Forrest Fenn's treasure came to a close approximately ten years after it began. This happened on June 5, 2020, when Jack Stuef got in touch with Forrest Fenn to let him know about the successful find. It was a moment that, you know, marked the end of a long and captivating chapter for many people who had been following the treasure hunt for so long. The news spread quickly, confirming that the elusive fortune had at last been found.

Even though the treasure was found, the exact location where Jack Stuef discovered it has been kept out of the public eye. This decision, as mentioned before, is partly to protect the area from too many visitors. So, while we know the general region, the precise spot remains a secret. It’s a way, basically, to ensure that the natural environment is not disturbed by a sudden influx of curious people, preserving the quiet beauty of the place where such a significant discovery was made.

What happened to the treasure Jack Stuef found?

After the discovery, the treasure didn't stay with Jack Stuef indefinitely. In 2022, he decided to sell the entire collection of items to a private group. This means that the fortune, which had been the subject of so much public interest and searching, passed into new hands away from the public eye. It was, you know, a significant transaction, moving the physical items of the treasure from the finder to a new set of owners, basically, bringing another stage of its story to a close.

Beyond selling the main cache, Jack Stuef also put some of the items up for auction online. This allowed a wider group of people to potentially own a piece of the famous fortune. It was a way, perhaps, to share some of the treasure's legacy with others who might have been interested in its history. This decision to auction off certain pieces meant that parts of the collection became available to individual collectors, broadening the reach of the treasure's story even further.

We also know that the specific contents of the chest were handled in December 2022. This suggests that the process of cataloging, valuing, and distributing the items was a detailed one, taking some time after the initial discovery and identity reveal. The fact that the contents were specifically mentioned indicates that there was a clear understanding of what the fortune actually contained, beyond just general descriptions of gold and jewels. It shows, in a way, the careful handling of a truly valuable find.

Jack Stuef's choices for the fortune.

We now understand that Jack Stuef, who was 32 years old at the time and a medical student from Michigan, found the well-known Forrest Fenn fortune. This collection of items was believed to be worth, you know, more than a million dollars. It was a truly substantial find, representing a considerable amount of wealth. This figure gives us a sense of the scale of the treasure that had been hidden for so long and that Jack Stuef ultimately brought to light.

According to Outside Magazine, Forrest Fenn, who was known as an eccentric millionaire and an adventurer, started this worldwide treasure hunt back in 2010. He had buried riches, basically, inviting anyone who was interested to go looking for them. This background helps us understand the context of the hunt that Jack Stuef joined and eventually completed. It was a quest set up by a unique individual, meant to inspire and challenge those who sought adventure.

Jack Stuef, who was a medical student and had previously written for Wonkette, was eventually confirmed as the person who found the treasure. However, he didn't share the exact details of where or how he had found it. He only mentioned that he had indeed located it. This decision to keep certain details private adds to the intrigue of his story, maintaining some mystery around the precise circumstances of his remarkable discovery. He also wrote a tribute to his friend, Forrest Fenn, who passed away in 2020, showing a personal connection to the treasure's creator.

The Man Who Found Forrest Fenn's Treasure
The Man Who Found Forrest Fenn's Treasure
Pictures of Robert Bice
Pictures of Robert Bice
The Intrepid Treasure Hunter Who Found Forrest Fenn’s Buried Fortune
The Intrepid Treasure Hunter Who Found Forrest Fenn’s Buried Fortune

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