Have you ever wanted to own a Jelly Belly factory? Well, the man behind the Jelly Belly name, David Klein, is offering people the chance to do just that.
According to a press release, Klein is getting ready to retire and wants to allow someone to win thousands of dollars, plus their very own candy factory.
Klein and his partner have hidden "gold-style tickets in the form of necklaces" across the nation to host treasure hunts in each state.
To join the search, or to receive valuable clues, you must purchase a $49.99 ticket for each state.
"The biggest and best part of these treasure hunts is that anyone who joins at least one treasure hunt will be eligible to search for THE ULTIMATE TREASURE, which will be the key to one of his candy factories and an all-expenses-paid trip and education to a candy-making university," Klein said.
Klein said that each treasure hunt is valued at $5,000, and only 1,000 people can participate in each treasure hunt.
The Jelly Belly Candy Company released the following statement to clear up any misconceptions about the contest Klein is hosting:
Due to confusion in the marketplace, Jelly Belly Candy Company would like to take this opportunity to clear up the misconception that it is involved with a contest that purportedly offers a candy factory as its grand prize. Jelly Belly Candy Company, formerly known as Herman Goelitz Candy Company, has candy making roots back to 1869. It was founded by brothers Gustav and Albert Goelitz and remains family-owned and operated today. David Klein, the sponsor of the “treasure hunt” contest gaining attention within the media this weekend, is not associated with Jelly Belly Candy Company, its brands, or products. In 1976, Mr. Klein, an independent third party, came up with the name “Jelly Belly” and other novel marketing ideas. Jelly Belly Candy Company has not had a relationship with Mr. Klein since 1980 when it acquired the trademark.
Editor's note: Previous story incorrectly identified David Klein as the founder of Jelly Belly. Jelly Belly Candy Company was founded by brothers Gustav and Albert Goelitz.
