Jelly Belly’s Founder Is Going Full Wonka By Giving Away A Candy Factory In A Nationwide Treasure Hunt

Summer treasure hunts have been a bit of an obsession of ours lately. With most of the world still locked down or under serious quarantine measures, our only hope for perspective-shifting travel is within the confines of the United States which, admittedly, can feel a bit less life-changing (though we’d argue the states are full of hidden gems and unique cultures). But throw a good treasure hunt into the equation? You’ve got yourself an instant adventure.

To cap off the summer treasure hunting season, it’s time to search for the greatest treasure of all: your very own candy factory. David Klein, the man who brought us the Jelly Belly jelly bean, is going full Willy Wonka for his retirement by launching a golden ticket treasure hunt across the United States, in which treasure hunters can score a cool $5,000 and the chance to grab the grand prize: their very own candy factory.

What are you going to do with a candy factory you ask? Wrong question. What aren’t you going to do with a candy factory?

The golden tickets are being hidden in secret locations throughout the U.S. and to join the hunt, treasure hunters will have to pay $50 to receive their state’s riddle, which will be limited to just 1,000 participants per state. As a lot of twitter users have pointed out, that means it’s not exactly a pure, altruistic giveaway.

The golden tickets will be in the form of dog tag necklaces that include a code to verify your find and claim your $5,000 reward, and all participants will be eligible to join the Ultimate Treasure Hunt for ownership of one of Klein’s Candyman Kitchens.

It doesn’t seem like there are any age requirements or group limits on the contest, though at least one person will have to register for the hunt and will need to have a Facebook account to join a private forum. Also, only one person can win the grand prize, so if you end up winning a candy factory as part of a group effort, you’ll have to settle this the way everything is settled in the cutthroat candy industry — with a duel to the death. (Sorry, we don’t make the rules!)

As mentioned, each treasure hunt is limited to just 1,000 participants. So if you’re interested in joining the hunt, head over to the Gold Ticket website to check when tickets are being released for your state. The first state, Georgia, is scheduled to drop tickets on September 30th at 11 am EST for $49.98, followed by Virginia on October 8th.