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Austrian Declares Fortune of R$ 183 Billion to Federal Revenue and Claims That the Hidden Gold Treasure in the Sea of Brazil Is off the Coast of Rio Grande do Norte.
A story that challenges reality and intrigues Brazilian authorities. A 68-year-old Austrian, Werner Hidel, claims to be the owner of a fortune of R$ 183 billion in gold hidden in the sea of Brazil. The most surprising thing is that he formally declared this amount, penny by penny, on his Income Tax. The report, originally aired by Domingo Espetacular and detailed by Canal Record Cabo Verde, went to Ponta do Mel, in Rio Grande do Norte, to investigate the case.
Hidel, who has lived in Brazil for over 30 years, is not a stranger. With a past that includes owning a lumber company in the Amazon, doing business in Venezuela, and a conviction for evading millions of euros in Austria, he currently lives in a rented house. The question everyone is asking is: is he an eccentric visionary, an international con artist, or the owner of one of the world’s greatest treasures?
Who Is Werner Hidel? The Past of the “Guardian” of the Treasure
Werner Hidel arrived in Brazil in 1991, choosing the country as his permanent home. His trajectory is marked by controversies and financial eccentricities. According to Canal Record Cabo Verde, he was once the owner of a lumber company in the Amazon and, in an act of protest against the Austrian justice system, even burned the equivalent of 14 million dollars (about R$ 81 million in current values) that he had brought to Brazil.
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His relationship with his home country, Austria, is troubled. Hidel was convicted of evading 11 million euros, although he claims that the total judicial dispute amounted to 5 billion euros. He was arrested in Brazil, in the Papuda prison, in 2005, and deported, serving only three months in Vienna. Today, he lives an apparently quiet life in Ponta do Mel (RN) with his partner, the Austrian journalist Verônica, and claims to be descended from Leopoldina, of the royal family.
“Sigrailândia”: The Fictional Country for a Real Treasure?
The most unbelievable part of Hidel’s story is where this hidden gold in the sea of Brazil would be located. He claims that the treasure, in bars, is 120 km off the coast and 40 meters deep, in an area he marked with 6,297 km². According to Hidel, he knows the way “without GPS” and has a “small team of stateless people” to access the site, as “there is no law in open sea.”
To manage the fortune, Werner created “Sigrailândia”, a fictional country that would serve as a tax haven. According to the investigation by Canal Record Cabo Verde, this “country” even has its own currency, the “Eternity,” where each unit is equivalent to 1g of gold (about R$ 600 at current exchange rates). The total amount of “Eternities” would match exactly with the R$ 183,423,693,476 reported on the Income Tax.
Reality vs. Fantasy: What Do the Experts and the Law Say?
The Austrian’s story faces a frontal clash with Brazilian legislation. The Brazilian Navy, in a statement, was clear: the Brazilian government has sovereignty to explore, conserve, and manage resources up to 392 km from the maritime coast. “Sigrailândia,” at 120 km, is well within Brazil’s exploration limits. Furthermore, experts in international law argue that an individual cannot, on their own, “create a state” and expect it to be legitimate.
A tax attorney interviewed by the report explained that, while anyone can declare any amount to the Federal Revenue, it is necessary to prove the origin of the assets. Without this proof, the declaration can be considered fraud or simulation, leading to criminal implications. The paradox is that, despite declaring R$ 183 billion, Hidel has never been caught in the tax net nor pays taxes on this amount. The Federal Revenue stated that it does not comment on the tax situation of taxpayers.
Millionaire Movements and Seized Gold
Although the story of the submerged treasure seems delusional, Werner Hidel indeed moves money. A financial oversight agency in Brazil confirmed that, between 2018 and 2022, he moved R$ 3 million in his bank accounts, an amount he attributes to the transportation of food to Venezuela during the crisis in the country.
Additionally, he confirms using gold as a circulating currency. In 2018, the Federal Revenue seized 3.6 kg of gold bars that Werner was transporting at Guarulhos Airport, destined for Turkey. Currently, the Austrian is facing at least two investigations by the Federal Police and 15 lawsuits throughout Brazil. Interestingly, he does not own any property in his name, claiming that any assets would be seized by the authorities.
The report from Canal Record Cabo Verde ends by leaving the mystery in the air. Local residents are divided: is Werner Hidel a “crazy person,” a “visionary,” or a “money launderer”?
In light of this story, what is your theory? Do you think Werner Hidel is an eccentric genius who really hid a fortune, or is it all just an elaborate fraud to confuse the authorities? Leave your opinion in the comments.
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