Hundreds of thousands have hunted in vain across remote corners of the US West for the bronze chest believed to be filled with gold coins, jewellery and other valuable items. Many quit their jobs to dedicate themselves to the search and others depleted their life savings. At least four people died searching for it.
Fenn, who lives in Santa Fe, said he packed and repacked his treasure chest for more than a decade, sprinkling in gold dust and adding hundreds of rare gold coins and gold nuggets.
Pre-Columbian animal figures went in, along with prehistoric "mirrors" of hammered gold, ancient Chinese faces carved from jade and antique jewellery with rubies and emeralds.
He said he hid the treasure as a way to tempt people to get into the wilderness and give them a chance to launch an old-fashioned adventure and expedition for riches.
Fenn told The New Mexican in 2017 that the chest weighed 9kg and its contents weighed another 10kg. He said he delivered the chest to its hiding place by himself over two separate trips.
Asked how he felt now that the treasure has been found, Fenn said: "I don't know, I feel halfway kind of glad, halfway kind of sad because the chase is over.
"I congratulate the thousands of people who participated in the search and hope they will continue to be drawn by the promise of other discoveries," he said on his website.
- AP