Michel Becker, the treasure hunt organiser, announced on October 3rd 2024 that the correct solution has been given to him. The longest running treasure hunt in the world* is finally over!
A video released on October 13th explains that the winner wishes for total anonymity, and that the answers to the clues won’t be revealed until April 23rd 2025. This is the 32nd anniversary of the hunt.
This long wait is disappointing for all involved with the hunt, and seems to be because the reveal will be in a TV documentary. This delay is so unpopular with owlers that a petition launched to demonstrate the strength of feeling and amassed 2,500 signatures. It was removed following a legal threat to the owler who set it up, as it mentioned problems with Michel Becker’s organisation of the game. Another petition has launched and simply asks for the clue answers to be revealed. It currently has 2,000 signatures and can be found HERE.
In an attempt to maintain interest in the hunt Becker will release two clue paintings in the lead up to the reveal, apparently depicting the ‘becalmed nave’ and the sentinels.
In one interesting detail in the video Michel Becker reveals that the bronze owl has left France. This detail suggests the winner was not from France, which is quite remarkable. He also reveals that a private buyer contacted him with an offer of 300,000 euro to buy the gold owl, but the winner declined this offer.
Becker first announced the win on his Discord server on the morning of 3/10/2024, and said, ‘A potential winning solution is currently being verified. The verification system is currently locked and no longer allows you to submit your solutions. Further information will be communicated to you as soon as possible.’
He followed this up with a second message around two hours later.
Don’t go digging! We confirm that the Golden Owl countermark was unearthed last night, simultaneously with a solution upload to the online verification system. It is therefore useless to go digging on the location you assume to be the cache. As previously announced, we are verifying the validity of the proposed solution.
The chouettedor.com official website confirms the owl was found on October 3rd.
We were promised an update by video on October 4th, but it didn’t happen.
In chat on his Discord server on October 6th Becker was asked about the delay. He said, ‘Tons of emotions to manage for all those who are responsible for managing the end of this episode and complex logistics to put in place.’
On October 8th Michel Becker gave a new update.
Last minute ! I knew it, it’s no surprise, conspiracy theorists, litigants and haters of all stripes are in turmoil and vociferating. The leaders of the A2CO association are trying to accredit the existence of another solution that would lead to the first missing countermark. As usual, everyone is flooding the media with unfounded rumors and unproven assertions. Fortunately, journalists are not being fooled and I thank them for that. We are preparing a complete legal file for them that will prevent them from dwelling on fakes. It is therefore confirmed that the game “On the trail of the golden owl” is now over! The solutions indicate a specific location and only one perfectly defined and from where the countermark numbered 2/8 was extracted. This is without any doubt or possible dispute. It is therefore no longer possible to submit your solutions or to claim to be the winner. All these bad loser ramblings cause us extra work and make us waste precious time. The good news is that the latest information we were waiting for concerning the organization of the end of the game and the means of disseminating the solutions, has just reached us. I will need you very much for this and I will tell you more very soon. Finally, thank you for your countless tags, I do not drink, I do not speak, but I do not sleep either … See you very very soon! Michel BECKER
A document explaining the legal history of the owl was also published. (English translation here.) This document attempts to halt the conspiracy theorists, who worry at the odd fact that Michel Becker’s recovered envelope of solutions led to a rusty duck buried in the ground. The original owl stamped 1/8 is still missing in mysterious circumstances.
On October 11th Michel Becker spoke in a community chat on his Discord server and said the winner wants to remain anonymous.
So we’re still waiting for answers on where the owl was buried, with it looking likely that there will be no more news for months! I’ll update this page if more news comes through.
Well done to the finder of the owl, huge congratulations are due. I hope we will learn the finder’s name in due course, and finally find the answers to the clues.
One of the community sites, the A2CO, keeps an ongoing tally of the length of this hunt. It’s quite amazing to think that that someone has finally solved this after so many long years!
The A2CO is now taking the bullish position that it is not the original countermark marked 1/8 buried by Max Valentin that has been uncovered, and for some owlers the game goes on. You can read more about the mysterious disappearance of the original bronze owl here. We can only hope that the resolution of the game at this stage includes some more explanation of why the original owl was missing.
*Sur La Trace de La Chouette d’Or founded in 1993 is the longest running unsolved treasure hunt with a single prize. The Secret treasure hunt was founded in 1982 but 3 of the 12 prizes have been found.