Interested in a new hobby? A new treasure hunt has just begun.
Netflix recently released the new ,” which details the real-life treasure hunt set up by adventure enthusiast Forrest Fenn.
In 2010, Fenn, an art and antiquities dealer, buried a treasure worth approximately $2 million and left clues in his memoir. Fenn sparked a national treasure hunt, leading to a sense of purpose and danger among devotees.
One of the most dedicated treasure hunters, Texas-based software engineer Justin Posey, appeared on TODAY in a March 27 segment to discuss his experience hunting for Fenn’s treasure — and to discuss the creation of his own treasure hunt in Fenn’s honor.
“It’s just a way of paying it forward, what Fenn created for thousands of us,” Posey said.
While filming the documentary, Posey told the filmmakers that he had hidden clues throughout the set of his interviews, which took place in his house. NBC News correspondent Joe Fryer asked Posey if he knew if all the clues he hid had made it onto “Gold and Greed.”
“I feel confident that they are,” Posey told Fryer with a smile.
Here’s what to know about “Gold & Greed” and the new sequel treasure hunt created by Posey.
Who was Forrest Fenn and what was his treasure?
Forrest Fenn was an art dealer and Vietnam War veteran who became inspired to create a treasure hunt after being diagnosed with kidney cancer in 1988.
Inspired to leave behind a legacy, Fenn created an elaborate treasure hunt by hiding a chest filled with gold in jewels in a hidden location Rocky Mountains. His memoir, “The Thrill of the Chase,” containing a poem filled with subtle clues revealing the location of Fenn’s valuable chest.
While the treasure hunt created lasting memories for many dedicated adventurers, it came with with trouble — at least five people died in the search.
The search ended in 2020, when a then 32-year-old medical student named Jack Stuef found the treasure, which sold at auction for $1.3 million.
Fenn died three months after Stuef found his treasure from natural causes.
Who is Justin Posey?
Justin Posey, a software engineer based in Texas, was one of Fenn’s dedicated treasure hunters and is featured in the documentary.
Posey said his friends and family would categorize him as “eccentric” due to his unique hobbies, including his love for artifacts and treasure. Posey’s grandfather was a Montana fish and game warden who inspired Posey to be adventurous and explore the outdoors.
“I became the family’s resident treasure hunter,” Posey said in the documentary.
The release of Fenn’s memoir reignited a spark from Posey’s childhood, he said in “Gold & Greed,” which caused him to start his own search for the treasure. He trained his dog to be able to locate bronze and ventured to multiple states.
In the documentary, Posey visits the location in Yellowstone where he, and many others, believe Stuef found the treasure.
What did Justin Posey say about his new treasure?At the beginning of the first episode of "Gold & Greed," Posey goes off-camera to tell filmmakers that he had hidden clues on the set in his house throughout the interview.
Neither Netflix nor the director of the film knows if any of the clues hinted at actually made it onto the documentary's final cut, but Justin Posey said he feels “confident” that they are there.
“No one working on the production or distribution of this program has any knowledge of any purported buried or abandoned property or any supposed related clues, and does not encourage you to search for any hidden treasure(s),” a disclaimer in the documentary reads.
In tandem with the quest announcement, Justin Posey created the website "Beyond the Map's Edge" for news and information related to his treasure hunt. The website also includes instructions on how to begin the treasure hunt. The steps include:
- Viewing the map that appears when you enter the website
- Watching "Gold & Greed" for clues
- Reading Posey's book "Beyond the Map's Edge" which contains more clues and background on the hunt
- A poem that "unlocks" the treasure hunt, Posey wrote on the website
Justin Posey's website lists the entire contents of the 60-pound treasure, including:
- PAMP Suisse kilogram bars, gold flakes, gold dust and more
- Loose emeralds, rubies and amethysts
- Historical artifacts
- A cryptocurrency component that grows with the book's sales
“Let’s just say whoever finds it will not be disappointed,” Justin Posey said with a grin on TODAY.
