Chasing the Thrill: Obsession, Death, and Glory in America's Most Extraordinary Treasure Hunt
Chasing the Thrill: Obsession, Death, and Glory in America's Most Extraordinary Treasure Hunt
By Daniel Barbarisi
Released May 18, 2021
When Forrest Fenn was given a fatal cancer diagnosis, he came up with a bold plan: He would hide a chest full of jewels and gold in the wilderness, and publish a poem that would serve as a map leading to the treasure's secret location. But he didn't die, and after hiding the treasure in 2010, Fenn instead presided over a decade-long gold rush that saw many thousands of treasure hunters scrambling across the Rocky Mountains in pursuit of his fortune. Daniel Barbarisi first learned of Fenn's hunt in 2017, when a friend became consumed with decoding the poem and convinced Barbarisi, a reporter, to document his search. What began as an attempt to capture the inner workings of Fenn's hunt quickly turned into a personal quest that led Barbarisi down a reckless and potentially dangerous path, one that found him embroiled in searcher conspiracies and matching wits with Fenn himself. Over the course of four chaotic years, several searchers would die, endless controversies would erupt, and one hunter would ultimately find the chest. But the mystery didn't end there.
Daniel Barbarisi is a veteran journalist and author. Over 15 years in newspaper journalism at the Boston Globe, Providence Journal, Wall Street Journal, and now The Athletic, where he is currently a senior editor. Barbarisi has covered crime, politics, news, and ultimately sports. He joined the staff of the Wall Street Journal in 2010, where he spent five years as the beat writer covering the New York Yankees. He left the WSJ at the end of 2015 to pursue his first book project, Dueling with Kings, and joined The Athletic in 2018. His next book, Chasing the Thrill, will be released in 2021. The native of Rye Brook, NY holds a bachelor's degree in history and political science from Tufts University, and a Master of Public Affairs degree from Brown University. He and his wife, Amalie Benjamin, live in Boston.
