France's oldest treasure hunt has been solved
The Golden Owl treasure hunt concluded after 31 years, with the statuette found and a solution verified. An online system now allows global participation, sparking ongoing community discussion about the clues.
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The Golden Owl treasure hunt, which began in 1993, has concluded with the announcement that the elusive statuette has been found. Michel Becker, the organizer, confirmed on October 3, 2024, that a solution was submitted and verified, marking the end of a 31-year quest. The hunt, originally requiring participants to dig in French forests, has adapted to modern times with an online verification system. This allows players worldwide to submit their solutions for a fee, eliminating the need for physical searches that could breach local laws. Becker emphasized that while the online system is optional, it aims to reduce unnecessary travel costs for participants. The hunt's clues, including references to specific locations and cryptic instructions, have sparked extensive community discussion and analysis. The recent revelation of a line drawn on a map related to one of the clues has further fueled speculation and debate among treasure hunters. As the community awaits the identity of the finder and further details about the solution, the hunt's legacy continues to intrigue and engage enthusiasts.
- The Golden Owl treasure hunt has officially ended after 31 years.
- Michel Becker confirmed the statuette was found and a solution was verified.
- An online verification system has been introduced for global participants.
- The hunt's clues and their interpretations remain a topic of community discussion.
- The identity of the finder and more details about the solution are anticipated.
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- Many commenters draw parallels to other treasure hunts, such as Alkemstone and the Fenn treasure, highlighting a shared interest in these types of puzzles.
- There is discussion about the role of Michel Becker as the organizer and the controversy surrounding his involvement after Régis Hauser's death.
- Some users express disappointment that the hunt has ended, while others feel relief for those who dedicated years to it.
- Links to additional resources and articles are shared, indicating a desire for more information on the topic.
- Several comments mention the ongoing community engagement and discussions about the clues, suggesting that interest in treasure hunts remains strong.
16 commentshttps://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_the_Trail_of_the_Golden_O...
Sounds like somebody actually had already solved it?
I think the guy who created it died long ago and the legal office which was meant to verify the prize is also maybe defunct (?). I'm also skeptical the "stone" would be wherever it was meant to be at this point anyways (similar to a number of the boxes from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Secret_(treasure_hunt) are theorized to be now inaccessible or destroyed).
Anyways, people are still trying to solve it. Last I heard someone claimed that they and their friends had paired all the clues in some way and were close to solving it, but they were very cagey about it. That was over a year ago I think.
Michel Becker only helped illustrate the book that is the support for the hunt and has taken over it when he passed.
As far as I know this was quite controversial because he had not knowledge about the riddles or how to solve them, and was only able to take over because there was a notarized enveloped left behind by the original creator which explained everything.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvglkr4p578o
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_the_Trail_of_the_Golden_O...
We even had geotags that were supposed to travel the world but we somehow lost them. We also had a cache.
We do not do that anymore but when I am somewhere I sometimes check for caches, for the nostalgia.
https://web.archive.org/web/20241003112400/https://goldenowl...
Edit: Unfortunately, only the home page is archived, not the article it links to.
Some people spent decades and counting on this hunt.
To some extent, it will be a relief to them that the hunt is over.
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