A Bitcoin investor has launched a real-life treasure hunt across the United States.
Jon Collins Black told Business Insider he has hidden five treasure chests worth $2 million to $3 million in locations across the country and is challenging people to find them.
Collins-Black, a California-based musician turned entrepreneur, explained that he made a small fortune from early Bitcoin investments, and during the COVID pandemic decided to secure some treasure and send people out to search for it. to search.
He then spent the past five years purchasing valuables such as a Casascius Bitcoin – the very first physical Bitcoin, a green Colombian emerald, a 2002 Shining Charizard Pokémon card, shipwreck antiques, and George Washington’s jelly glass at auctions and through antique dealers.
After securing the items, Collins-Black hid them in five treasure chests – four smaller and one large – that double as puzzle boxes.
But to ensure that those who find the chests can get the prize inside, Collins-Black has added instructions detailing how to open them.
The investor also hiked more than a hundred miles to hide the treasures, and included clues to finding them in his new book There’s a Treasure Inside — though he noted that it would take some close reading and a sharp but open mind to pinpoint their locations to decipher.
He also noted that none of the coffins are buried or placed on private property, and no dangerous stunts are required to reach them.
Jon Collins-Black, a Bitcoin investor, has launched a veritable treasure hunt across the US
He included clues to find the treasures in his new book There’s Treasure Inside
The musician told Business Insider that when he came up with his plan to hide treasures across the country, he only had a “loose budget” for the prizes.
“I was basically trying to figure out where would be the right place to make this without making it too big,” Collins-Black said.
“I didn’t want people to go crazy.”
Collins-Black also said he doesn’t think he will regret giving away the money.
“If Bitcoin goes to $500,000 or $1 million, or if these treasures are worth $10 million in five to seven years and someone finds them, I think I’m just going to celebrate that and be happy about it.
“There were definitely a few items where people said, ‘Are you sure you want to put that in the hoard?’” the investor admitted.
“But in the end, I guess I’ll just be happy for whoever finds it.”
Among the hidden items is a green Colombian emerald
He noted that only he knows where the coffins are located, so questioning relatives and his publisher will not help.
Still, Collins-Black doesn’t want the mystery of the treasure to outlive him, and could release more clues in eight to 10 years if they aren’t found.
“I don’t have the desire that I’ll be long gone and they’ll be the ‘Legend of the Jon Collins-Black treasures,’” he said. “I don’t want to drag it out forever.”
The investor said he doesn’t have a favorite among the items he collected, but admitted he does have a soft spot for the emerald – which he says is “beautiful” to look at.