Finders Losers

This is a revised edition of the original hardcover book. It is the personal story by the finder of millions of dollars in sunken pirate treasure. Such a discovery is the stuff of dreams that became a nightmare. This is a tale of the tragic results of finding a treasure. Jack Slack and his 3 friends discovered thousands of pieces-of-eight off Grand Bahama, but what happened afterwards is a revelation of greed and power.. When the secret of their find was finally revealed to the world through a LOOK magazine exclusive story, the world invaded their otherwise peaceful island existence. The media had a field day with worldwide headlines. First, the finders met the well wishers, some of whom proved to be hucksters and con men, then the "percentage seekers" offering to market the find. There were genuine offers to help and the prestigious honor of Jack being presented to Queen Elizabeth, but what the finders never expected was the deterioration of their friendships through disagreements, and suspicion.. They made decisions and revisions of decisions. They weren't prepared for dealing with the greed that assaulted them from everywhere. Even their own greed surprised them. They signed contracts then regretted signing them. They agreed to sell the treasure, but they didn't agree on a price because the price of a dream differs with each individual dream. So instead, they sold percentages of an unknown value until they became minority holders in their own treasure.. Jack was the first to become disillusioned with the treasure. In the beginning, they all joked about a curse associated with the treasure. They invented a fictional villain called Patcheye who they blamed for every accident. In time, the mishaps were no longer just accidents, but the results of mental stress that each of them dealt with it in a different way.