₹98 crore fortune: How an 18-year-old worker in Belgium hit an underground gold jackpot
Belgium now has another claim to fame: the summer a sewer dig turned into a €9m gold rush. As investigators trace the gold’s origins, one thing is certain: for Kobe and his crew, an ordinary summer job has turned into a once-in-a-lifetime story.
- Aug 17, 2026,
- Updated Aug 17, 2026 12:54 PM IST
What began as a routine sewer line excavation in Sint-Gillis-Dendermonde quickly turned into one of Belgium’s most remarkable subterranean discoveries. Working roughly 30 km northwest of Brussels, a construction crew replacing underground pipes at a historic property breached a bricked-in cellar wall.
Behind the masonry lay a hidden bag filled with numbered bullion bars, gold nuggets, and rare coins, carrying an estimated value of €9 million (around ₹98 crore). The extraordinary find unfolded through the eyes of an 18-year-old worker named Kobe, who initially mistook the gleaming metal for pocket change.
'First I thought it was €1 coins'
Speaking to Belgian broadcaster VTM, Kobe recalled the moment the crew realised they had found something far more valuable than loose change. “We suddenly saw something lying there. At first I thought it was €1 coins. Then we saw a gold bar. It turned out to be a bit more than we thought,” he said.
The treasure had been intentionally concealed within the subterranean structure of a grand villa built in the late 19th century for brewery owner Theophilus Van Assche.
“It's just not something you expect on a regular Tuesday morning,” Kobe added, noting that the treasure appeared to have been deliberately hidden.
Historic brewery site now being renovated
The property, known locally as the Brouwershuis, was once home to a brewery that operated from 1899 until 1970. Its wrought-iron gates still bear the initials “VA” in homage to the Van Assche family. Today, the building is being fully renovated by CAW Oost-Vlaanderen, a social welfare organisation, to create new offices and housing. “The Brouwershuis was a beautiful building, but it is being completely destroyed. Ultimately, only the walls will remain,” Geert Hillaert of CAW told Flemish outlet HLN.
Authorities secure treasure
Police and prosecutors moved quickly to secure the site and transfer the gold to a secure facility in Brussels. Investigators are now working to verify that the treasure was not stolen or linked to criminal activity, a step that could precede a complex civil dispute over ownership. Investigators must first verify that the gold was not stolen or linked to crime, said Hanne Ollevier of the East Flanders prosecutor's office.
READ ALSO: Rajasthan farmer’s buried fortune turns into a heap of torn notes, ₹5 lakh destroyed by termites
Potential claimants include the construction contractors, the welfare organisation that owns the property, and descendants of the Van Assche family. Under Belgian law, anyone who finds treasure must wait at least five years for rightful owners to come forward before any division of the find can be considered.
As for the workers who made the discovery, Kobe acknowledged that such a large find had to be handed over to authorities. “If it had been a few coins, maybe not. But maybe we'll get some kind of finder's reward eventually,” he said.
What began as a routine sewer line excavation in Sint-Gillis-Dendermonde quickly turned into one of Belgium’s most remarkable subterranean discoveries. Working roughly 30 km northwest of Brussels, a construction crew replacing underground pipes at a historic property breached a bricked-in cellar wall.
Behind the masonry lay a hidden bag filled with numbered bullion bars, gold nuggets, and rare coins, carrying an estimated value of €9 million (around ₹98 crore). The extraordinary find unfolded through the eyes of an 18-year-old worker named Kobe, who initially mistook the gleaming metal for pocket change.
'First I thought it was €1 coins'
Speaking to Belgian broadcaster VTM, Kobe recalled the moment the crew realised they had found something far more valuable than loose change. “We suddenly saw something lying there. At first I thought it was €1 coins. Then we saw a gold bar. It turned out to be a bit more than we thought,” he said.
The treasure had been intentionally concealed within the subterranean structure of a grand villa built in the late 19th century for brewery owner Theophilus Van Assche.
“It's just not something you expect on a regular Tuesday morning,” Kobe added, noting that the treasure appeared to have been deliberately hidden.
Historic brewery site now being renovated
The property, known locally as the Brouwershuis, was once home to a brewery that operated from 1899 until 1970. Its wrought-iron gates still bear the initials “VA” in homage to the Van Assche family. Today, the building is being fully renovated by CAW Oost-Vlaanderen, a social welfare organisation, to create new offices and housing. “The Brouwershuis was a beautiful building, but it is being completely destroyed. Ultimately, only the walls will remain,” Geert Hillaert of CAW told Flemish outlet HLN.
Authorities secure treasure
Police and prosecutors moved quickly to secure the site and transfer the gold to a secure facility in Brussels. Investigators are now working to verify that the treasure was not stolen or linked to criminal activity, a step that could precede a complex civil dispute over ownership. Investigators must first verify that the gold was not stolen or linked to crime, said Hanne Ollevier of the East Flanders prosecutor's office.
READ ALSO: Rajasthan farmer’s buried fortune turns into a heap of torn notes, ₹5 lakh destroyed by termites
Potential claimants include the construction contractors, the welfare organisation that owns the property, and descendants of the Van Assche family. Under Belgian law, anyone who finds treasure must wait at least five years for rightful owners to come forward before any division of the find can be considered.
As for the workers who made the discovery, Kobe acknowledged that such a large find had to be handed over to authorities. “If it had been a few coins, maybe not. But maybe we'll get some kind of finder's reward eventually,” he said.