- The concept of buried pirate treasure traces back to a single incident: William Kidd on Gardiners Island in 1699.
- The treasure was quickly handed over to authorities.
- Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island almost single-handedly created the popular image of pirates burying treasure.
- Post-WWII forecasts predicted Asia would struggle due to poverty and lack of resources.
- Asia was considered worse off than Africa at the time.
- Labour force and education proved sufficient to overcome resource disadvantages.