Construction workers renovating a property in Dendermonde, Belgium have discovered a hoard of gold bars and coins worth an estimated €9 million, roughly $10.4 million, sealed inside a chest bricked into a cellar wall.
The crew found the hidden stash while laying new sewage pipes beneath what was formerly a brewery owner’s villa. The property now belongs to CAW Oost-Vlaanderen, a local charity providing welfare support in the area.
A summer job takes an unexpected turn for Belgian Student
The workers uncovered more than 40 gold bars alongside around 4,000 old coins. Eighteen- year-old student worker Kobe, working a summer job on the site, was among the first to spot it and immediately alerted police alongside the rest of the crew.
According to BBC News, Kobe described the moment of realization. “At first I thought they were €1 coins. But then we also saw a gold nugget lying there. That’s when we realised it was something bigger,” he said, adding: “€9m, you simply can’t keep that hidden.”
Police transferred the gold to a high-security federal vault while prosecutors investigate its origins. Geert Hillaert, director of CAW Oost-Vlaanderen, said the find brought “surprise and amazement,” and suspects it may be linked to “some kind of fraudulent activity.”
Under Belgian law, the rightful owner now has five years to come forward and claim the treasure. If nobody does and the gold is found not to be linked to criminal activity, it will be split evenly between the construction workers and the charity that owns the property.
It comes after Belgian influencer Michiel Vandeweert died at 28 following a public battle with a rare rapid aging disorder, another Belgian story that captured widespread attention.
