The world’s longest treasure hunt for a gold, silver, and diamond-encrusted “Golden Owl” statue worth $165,000 has come to an end after 31 years, 5 months, and 9 days.
The hunt began in 1993 when French author Régis Hauser hid the bejeweled owl statuette, challenging participants to solve 11 puzzles and codes in his book On the Trail of the Golden Owl. You can try the cryptic puzzles here.
Hauser, the only one who knew the owl’s location, died in 2009, leading to a legal battle between his heirs and co-creator Michel Becker. Becker announced last week that a random participant, whose identity remains unknown, had solved the puzzle and uncovered the owl. He hinted that the puzzle answers may also soon be revealed.
