Whose got a golden ticket?
David Klein, one of the original inventors of Jelly Belly jelly beans, is pulling a Willy Wonka. What, exactly, does that mean, you ask? Well, the short answer is Klein is launching a nationwide treasure hunt. The winner will be given one of his candy factories—just like in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
In order to participate in the treasure hunt, you must pay a $49.99 entrance fee. There will be a treasure hunt in every state and only 1,000 tickets will be sold per state. Anyone who purchases an entry ticket will eligible to win Klein's candy factory.
Participants must also have a Facebook account as that's where much of the game's requirements will be shared. According to Klein's website, each state will have a designated Facebook group. When the treasure hunt stats, each group will receive a riddle that must be solved. The riddle will lead to a "gold ticket" in the form of a necklace with a tag that contains a code you will use to verify your find. There will only be one tag per state. The winner from every state will then qualify for the "Ultimate Treasure Hunt," which will result in the winner being gifted their very own candy factory.
Klein, unsurprisingly, was inspired by Charlie and the Chocolate Factory when creating his own treasure hunt. According to CNN, Klein has been interested in giving away one of his factories Wonka-style since the 1970s. "The world needs something positive to get their minds off their problems," Klein said. "It's on my bucket list. Now, we are finally doing it, and we're hoping to bring some joy into the world right now."
The ultimate prize is full ownership of a candy factory and a candy making course at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, as well as an offer from Klein—if needed, he will help the winner launch their very own candy company. Will you be participating?
Photo: Getty