Treasure discovery: Canadian man unearths 14.5 million baht in late music teacher’s home

Photo: Sanook

A Canadian man stumbled upon a treasure trove worth more than 14.5 million baht after purchasing a house from his late music teacher for a little over 300,000 baht. Despite his familiarity with the previous owner, he had never inspected the house before the purchase and was utterly astounded when he discovered an unimaginable wealth inside. The unexpected treasure discovery led to the young man unearthing various luxury items.

Alex Archbold, a Canadian reseller, struck gold when he purchased the home of his deceased music teacher, commonly known as Madam Rack. Archbold bought the property for 10,000 US dollars (363,000 baht) following Madam Rack’s death in December 2020.

Despite knowing Madam Rack for many years, Archbold had never set foot in the house prior to purchasing it. In Archbold’s impression, Madam Rack was a quirky, steadfast woman who loved to travel. He was oblivious to her wealth.

Still, Archbold took a gamble on the house, considering it an exciting adventure. He knew at the very least, the music teacher would have a grand piano. As soon as he unlocked the door and entered, Archbold was taken aback by the sight of boxes and bags stacked high up to the ceiling in the hallway.

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Treading carefully through each room, he discovered numerous rare silver coins and money from the 1920s. Boxes from brands like Chanel, Burberry, and Tiffany were scattered all around the house, reported Sanook.

“Before all of this, I thought Madam Rack had just a modest income, so I didn’t expect much. I didn’t expect her to be a millionaire with an excellent style.

“I found wallets filled with cash, silver bars weighing over 2 kilogrammes, and bags full of gold and diamond rings.”

Treasure discovery: Canadian man unearths 14.5 million baht in late music teacher's home | News by Thaiger
Madam Rack’s jewellery via Sanook

Not just that, Archbold’s treasure discovery led to sparkling rings stuffed in shoes and small silver bars falling out as he and his friends examined every magazine and book in the house. The piano teacher’s wardrobe and shelves were filled with designer merchandise, ranging from fur coats to custom suits.

Archbold’s team gathered valuable vintage records, designer cutlery, furniture, books, shoes, gold jewellery, and at least three sewing machines. They spent several days cleaning and sorting as the previous owner had accumulated too much furniture. In the end, he kept the piano for himself and auctioned off all the items left by Madam Rack.

Archbold shared his treasure discovery on YouTube, attracting hundreds of thousands of viewers. Prior to this, Archbold and his wife used to buy second-hand furniture in search of interesting and unique items, sharing their discoveries on social media.

“Every item we found had potential value. I spent 10,000 US dollars (363,000 baht) to buy the house and got 400,000 US dollars (about 14.5 million baht) from auctioning these items. This is the best investment I’ve ever made.”

A local newspaper citing a source reported that Madam Rack, the music teacher, was born in 1944, and trained to be a dancer until a car accident broke her hip bone.

Treasure discovery: Canadian man unearths 14.5 million baht in late music teacher's home | News by Thaiger
Madam Rack via Sanook

Despite this, Madam Rack continued to pursue her love for music at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, Canada and completed a degree in solo piano performance. She then earned a degree in piano teaching.

One former student commented that Madam Rack was a wonderful woman in any situation. Looking back at her old photos, Archbold still believes that Madam Rack was extremely wealthy from a young age.

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Samantha Rose

Samantha was a successful freelance journalist who worked with international news organisations before joining Thaiger. With a Bachelor's degree in Journalism from London, her global perspective on news and current affairs is influenced by her days in the UK, Singapore, and across Thailand. She now covers general stories related to Thailand.

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