Hey there, treasure fans and mystery lovers! If you’ve been glued to Netflix’s Gold & Greed: The Hunt for Fenn’s Treasure (which hit screens on March 27, 2025), you know the name Jack Stuef. At TV Acute, we are committed to uncovering the true stories hidden beneath the headlines, and Jack’s story is truly captivating. He’s the medical student who cracked Forrest Fenn’s decade-long treasure hunt, snagging a chest worth up to $2 million in 2020. But what happened after he found the Jack Stuef treasure? Where’s he at today? Let’s unpack his journey—from cracking clues to dodging conspiracies and cashing out!
Back in 2010, Forrest Fenn, a quirky art dealer from Santa Fe, hid a chest full of gold and jewels in the Rocky Mountains, sparking a global frenzy. Thousands of hunters chased it, some losing everything in the process. Jack Stuef, an amateur sleuth with a knack for puzzles, ended it all when he found the treasure in Wyoming. It was a big win, but it came with big drama—lawsuits, threats, and a whole lot of speculation. So, where is Jack Stuef now? Stay with me as I reveal his exciting journey and his future plans for 2025!
How Jack Stuef Cracked the Treasure Code
Jack Stuef didn’t stumble into treasure hunting by accident—he’s always been a problem-solver. Growing up in Michigan, he loved a good challenge. Think of shows like Push, Nevada from 2002, where viewers hunted for cash, or David Blaine’s Mysterious Stranger, a book with a treasure twist. Those hooked him early, and years later, Forrest Fenn’s poem in The Thrill of the Chase lit that same spark.
Before all that, Jack’s path was a bit of a zigzag. He went to Georgetown University, running the Georgetown Heckler, a fun campus mag, and graduated in 2009. Writing gigs followed—think The Onion and other outlets—but some drama there pushed him out. He tried a postbaccalaureate program, then medical school, but it wasn’t clicking. That’s when Fenn’s treasure caught his eye. Jack dove in hard, poring over the poem, Fenn’s memoir, and every interview he could find. “The clues are in his words,” he figured, keeping it quiet from his family—he was too embarrassed to admit how obsessed he’d gotten!
On June 6, 2020, Jack’s persistence paid off. He found the chest in Wyoming, drove it straight to Fenn, and handed it over. Forrest posted a blog that day, telling hunters to stand down. Jack had done it—solved what thousands couldn’t. But the victory? It wasn’t all cheers and high-fives.
The Messy Aftermath of Finding the Treasure
Discovering the Forrest Fenn treasure was an incredible achievement—until it didn’t turn out as expected. When Forrest announced the chest was found but kept Jack’s name under wraps (at Jack’s request), the treasure-hunting crowd split. Some clapped, others flipped out. “We’ve been robbed!” they cried, spinning tales that Fenn faked it or the family nabbed it themselves. Jack and Forrest tried to calm things down—releasing pics of the chest, revealing it was in Wyoming—but it wasn’t enough for everyone.
Things got uglier when Forrest passed away in September 2020 at 90. Lawsuits hit hard, targeting Fenn’s estate and dragging Jack in too. One lawyer, Barbara Andersen, sued, claiming Jack hacked her messages to steal the treasure’s location (she thought it was in New Mexico). Jack shot that down, calling it nonsense, but the legal heat made hiding impossible. By December 2020, he went public in Outlook Magazine, spilling his side. “I found it fair and square,” he said, admitting the hunt’s dark side—like the five deaths it caused—freaked him out. Fame had messed with Fenn’s life—stalkers, threats—and Jack didn’t want that smoke.
Cashing Out and Stepping Back
So, what did Jack do with the treasure? He didn’t hang onto it long. In 2022, he sold most of the treasure through Tesouro Sagrado Holdings, LLC, raking in $1.3 million at auction. Over 400 items—gold coins, nuggets, jewelry, even a jar with Fenn’s 20,000-word life story—hit the block. Why sell? Jack didn’t want the spot turning into a tourist trap for treasure nuts. “Let people see it in a museum or something,” he told Outlook. That payday boosted his bank account big-time—enough to ditch med school and pivot to equities investing.
What’s Jack Stuef net worth now? Hard to pin down exactly, but that $1.3 million, minus taxes and fees, plus whatever he’s made in investments, likely puts him in a comfy spot—think mid-six figures at least. He’s not flaunting it, though. After the sale, Jack faded from the spotlight, tired of the conspiracies and attention. “People made up wild stuff about me,” he later wrote. Staying low-key is his vibe now, a lesson learned from Fenn’s chaotic fame.
Where Is Jack Stuef Now in 2025?
So, where is Jack Stuef now? As of 2025, he’s keeping it quiet—probably by choice. At 37-ish, he’s likely chilling somewhere, trading stocks or plotting his next move. In November 2024, he appeared on a blog post, expressing his admiration for Jon Collins-Black, who was initiating a new treasure hunt using fragments of Fenn’s wealth. Jon’s book, There’s Treasure Inside, hides the clues, Fenn-style. “Good luck, stay safe,” Jack wrote, sounding like a guy who’s moved on but still respects the game.
Jack’s not spilling much else—no social media blitz, no big interviews. After the treasure craziness—lawsuits, death threats, and all—he’s probably happy just living his life. At TV Acute, we get it: finding a million bucks doesn’t mean you want the world in your face. Maybe he’s hiking with a dog or sipping coffee in some quiet town. Wherever he is, he’s the guy who cracked Fenn’s code and walked away richer—in cash and stories.
Why Jack’s Story Sticks With Us
Jack Stuef’s tale isn’t just about gold—it’s about grit, smarts, and handling the fallout. Forrest Fenn’s hunt, born from his art-dealing fortune, changed lives, and Jack ended it. He faced the mob, sold the haul, and bounced. Netflix’s Gold & Greed captures the thrill and the mess, with Jack as the quiet hero (or villain, depending who you ask). His $1.3 million win closed one chapter, but that blog nod to a new hunt? It keeps the legacy alive.
What’s next for Jack? No clue—but he’s proven he can tackle anything. Got thoughts on his wild ride? Drop ‘em below—I’d love to hear what you think about this treasure-finding legend!
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