"Forrest is a trader, " said Dan Nietzel, a professional treasure hunter who has searched for Fenn's treasure.

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Andy Falconer made the "once in a life time discovery" when out searching with fellow treasure hunter Rob Farrer.

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In recent years, he made a widely publicised visit to Bhutan and has been proclaimed the reincarnation of a holy 13th-century Buddhist treasure hunter.

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Ludwig, 57, who made his fortune in California real estate, once got his thrills as a swashbuckling treasure hunter who salvaged shipwrecks and mines for profit.

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There certainly seems to be no shortage of believers, including Doug Preston, whose novel "The Codex" about a notorious treasure hunter and tomb robber who buries himself and his treasure as a final challenge to his three sons, is loosely based on Fenn's story.

NPR: 'I Love Mysteries,' Says Man Claiming Hidden Gold