1949 , Jack , an unemployed proper hen he cam was walking aimlessly on a California came across a bottle that had floated onto the beach . In it was a piece of paper with this message : To avoid confusion , I leave my entire estate to the lucky person who finds this bottle and to my attorney , Barry Cohen , share and share alike . Daisy Alexander , June 20 , 1937. " It was not a hoax . Mr. Wurm received over $ 6 million from Daisy Alexander's estate .