Someone buried $10,000 cash in a 150-pound chest somewhere in San Francisco. Three weeks later, the search is still going on

A $10,000 treasure hunt that started in San Francisco is now nearly three weeks old, and the treasure has still not been found. The prize is buried inside a massive 150-pound chest, and as of Sunday, no one has claimed it. The organizers are beginning to wonder if anyone will find it at all.

According to The Independent, the hunt started on Reddit, just like last year’s search. The organizers set up a website with an old-style clue map to help people locate the chest. According to them, it is buried one foot underground, somewhere within seven miles of San Francisco’s city hall.

Last year’s hunt ended in just 11 hours, which the organizers had hoped to beat. This year, however, the search has gone on for nearly three weeks with no winner. That is a very different outcome from what they expected.

The treasure hunt has turned into a headache for the city’s parks and green spaces

The long search has caused some trouble around the city. Gardeners from the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department and rangers at Angel Island have raised concerns about damage to green areas, with some treasure hunters digging holes and leaving trash behind. In response, the organizers have confirmed that the treasure is not on Angel Island or in Francisco Park.

The organizers have also asked seekers to fill in any holes they dig and clean up their trash. They have even encouraged people to publicly call out anyone who leaves a mess behind. It is clear they want to keep the hunt fun without causing lasting damage to public spaces. San Francisco has been dealing with a number of public safety concerns in recent times, making the added strain on city resources a sensitive issue.

The Recreation and Parks Department has also spoken up, saying that permits are required before anyone can dig in city parks. The department says these permits are in place to protect park landscapes, infrastructure, and public safety. The Independent contacted the department for a comment, but has not yet received a response.

Paying for the treasure has been a financial strain on the organizers, who covered the cost themselves last year and again this year. If they cannot find a donor to help with costs, they have said this will likely be the last hunt they run. 

As they put it, “It was a questionable financial decision the first time and downright idiotic the second. There truly can’t be a third.” The city has also recently been in the spotlight for a misconduct case involving law enforcement officers, adding to the ongoing scrutiny it faces.

Despite all of this, the organizers have hinted that they might continue the hunt in the future if they can find a well-funded partner to help cover expenses. For now, the chest remains buried and unclaimed, and the search goes on.