Treasure hunt: Man hides 5 chests worth US$2M+ across America

What does it take to channel the spirit of Jacques Cousteau and search for secret treasure?

For Jon Collins-Black, this question sparked a thrilling journey that led him to hide five treasure chests across the United States.

His new book, “There’s Treasure Inside,” offers hints for eager treasure hunters, sending them on an expedition to find hidden chests with a combined prize value of more than US$2 million.

The inspiration

Collins-Black has been a lifelong fantasy enthusiast, immersing himself in games and mythical adventures such as Dungeons & Dragons since childhood.

By 2015, the successful musician and entrepreneur was looking for a change of pace and envisioned a project that would help him reconnect with his younger imagination.

Motivated by Forrest Fenn’s infamous treasure hunt launched back in 2010, Collins-Black dreamed of creating something more personal and accessible. Instead of Fenn’s single chest hidden in the Rocky Mountains, Collins-Black envisioned multiple troves allowing every person across the country the opportunity to be in closer proximity to one of the chests.

“I wanted to have the chests spread out to give people the optimistic, adventurous possibility,” he said.

With a creative background in writing, from poetry to children’s book publishing, Collins-Black combined his skills to produce “There’s Treasure Inside,” aimed to entertain even those who do not plan to look for the treasure.

The search

Each chapter contains detailed clues leading to one of the five chests.

Although Collins-Black remains tight-lipped about the book’s specifics, he promises that anyone can find the treasure. “All the clues you need are in the book,” he said.

To protect the integrity of the search, Collins-Black worked with as few strategists and editors as possible to avoid any hints from leaking to the public. He even decided to keep the treasure locations a secret from his wife.

“I couldn’t really consult other people because I didn’t want (them) to have the burden,” he said.

With no clear blueprint for such an ambitious project, he experimented through trial and error, carefully programming the difficulty of the clues.

“There’s Treasure Inside” has already created a buzz, with thousands of participants gathering on discussion channels such as Discord to share their theories. Many are even convinced they have pinpointed the states where the treasure is located, according to Collins-Black.

Adventurers don’t need to worry about their safety while searching, he says. No dangerous underwater exploration, climbing or entering private property is required, and anyone of average health can travel to the sites. And it’s important to know that no digging is necessary to find the treasure.

While Collins-Black wants the treasure hunt to be demanding, he is clear about the timeline: “I do hope and think it might take a little while, but I don’t need this to take forever,” he said.

Should the chests remain unfound for several years, he believes he will release additional clues — or maybe even a sequel — to see his quest come to life.

The treasure

Collins-Black meticulously curated the treasures hidden within the chests to captivate a wide range of interests and offer an unparalleled treasure-hunting experience.

Collaborating with historians, Collins-Black attended auctions until he created the perfect, one-of-a-kind collection. He financed the pieces with money he saved from early bitcoin investments.

“I was like a kid in a candy store,” he said.

Inside the chests, searchers can look forward to hopefully locating items such as rare Pokémon cards, shipwreck bounty, sports memorabilia, gold and precious medals.

Among some of the most prized possessions are those with historical significance, including items owned or made by Pablo Picasso, George Washington, Amelia Earhart and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.

As the chests await discovery, the value of many items continues to grow.

It’s nearly impossible for Collins-Black to select a favourite item from the lot, but a few specific items — a brooch once owned by Jackie Onassis, a 96-carat emerald and Wilma Rudolph’s 1960 Olympic gold medal — hold a special place in his heart.

The only item on his wishlist that he could not secure was one of Albert Einstein’s pipes, which he lost in a bidding war.

One chest was intentionally made larger and more valuable than the others to raise the stakes.

“I wanted to put more value in a treasure chest than ever before,” said Collins-Black.

With clues waiting to be unraveled and treasures to be uncovered, the search is officially on — will you be the one to find the grand prize?