31-year-old French treasure hunt ends with discovery of Golden Owl
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After three decades of captivating treasure hunters across France and beyond, the legendary treasure hunt "On the Trail of the Golden Owl" has finally come to an end.
The hunt, which began in 1993, involved solving a series of 11 puzzles from a riddle-filled book, along with a 12th hidden puzzle, to pinpoint the exact location of a replica of a golden owl.
On Thursday, the official website of the treasure hunt announced that the coveted token, needed to claim the grand prize, had been found.
The hunt's chat line confirmed the news, stating, "We confirm that the replica of the golden owl was dug up last night, and simultaneously a solution has been submitted to the online verification system."
The treasure hunt originated from a 1993 book by author Régis Hauser (writing under the pseudonym Max Valentin) and artist Michel Becker. The challenge quickly developed a devoted following, with over 200,000 participants - known as ‘owlers’ - attempting to crack the riddles and find the hidden owl.
In a documentary on YouTube, Becker revealed that he had personally overseen and funded the creation of the prize: a stunning golden owl sculpture made of 3 kg of gold and 7 kg of silver, adorned with diamond chips on its face.
The hunt’s mastermind, Hauser, adopted the pseudonym Max Valentin to avoid being tracked down by persistent treasure seekers. He passed away in 2009, as reported by Le Monde.
Though this treasure hunt has now concluded, it isn’t the longest-running one in history. That title belongs to The Secret, a treasure hunt initiated by Byron Preiss in 1982, which involves the search for 12 treasure boxes hidden across the U.S. and Canada. So far, only three of the boxes have been uncovered.