Conspiracy theory suggests missing millionaire found living with alleged cannibal group in old footage

If you possessed a fortune of a million dollars, where would you choose to reside? Perhaps within a grand mansion or aboard a luxurious yacht? Or would you consider living among a community of cannibalistic individuals?

It’s unlikely that many would opt for the latter choice, but a remarkable conspiracy theory proposes that this was the fate of millionaire Michael Rockefeller following his mysterious disappearance in 1961.

Michael Rockefeller, a member of the renowned affluent Rockefeller family, was situated in Papua New Guinea during the time when the vessel he was voyaging on, accompanied by Dutch anthropologist René Wassing, encountered trouble.

Reportedly, Rockefeller conveyed to Wassing that he believed he could swim the three-mile distance to the shore, yet he vanished without a trace.

Subsequent to his disappearance, conjecture surrounding Rockefeller’s fate began to circulate. Numerous individuals entertained the notion that he had met his demise at the hands of a tribe of cannibalistic inhabitants residing in the vicinity where he went missing.

Supposed footage of missing man Michael Rockefeller taken in 1969 by Malcolm Kirk for Milt Machlin

Nonetheless, recently rediscovered film footage captured within the same region has added momentum to an alternative hypothesis. Contrary to the assumption of his demise, a new notion has arisen proposing that Rockefeller might have, in fact, become a part of the indigenous community.

MrBallen, a content creator on YouTube and a podcaster, delved into this eccentric theory in a video presentation. He asserted that there are accounts of Rockefeller being sighted in the New Guinea jungles long after his presumed demise.

“A reporter named Milt Macklin heard from this mysterious Australian person that they had actually run into Michael Rockefeller recently in the jungle of New Guinea not far from where he supposedly disappeared,” MrBallen claimed.

Although Macklin’s attempts to locate Rockefeller directly yielded no results, he extensively documented his expedition and captured footage of the cannibal community’s habitat.

MrBallen carried on, explaining, “But 40 years later another documentary film crew decided they were going to go to New Guinea and look for Michael because there were still all these rumours floating around that Michael was alive.

“They uncovered this unwatched footage from Milt Macklin and they watched all of it and they discovered something unbelievable amongst the hours and hours of footage.”

In that scene, a white man could be observed positioned amidst the group, actively participating in piloting a war canoe.

“Amongst these big strong men is one man who totally stands out because he doesn’t look like the other Asmat Warriors,” MrBallen remarked.

“He is a naked bearded white man who – even though the quality of the film was poor – totally looked like Michael Rockefeller.”

Although the notion of Rockefeller assimilating into the tribe presents an intriguing perspective, it contradicts other accounts of his fate, most of which recount a gruesome demise.

In the documentary series “Ring of Fire: An Indonesian Odyssey,” the filmmakers encountered an individual who asserted to have consumed Rockefeller.

Furthermore, Carl Hoffman, a journalist associated with National Geographic, recounted Rockefeller’s demise differently, stating that he was discovered by three Asmat elders who impaled him and severed his head.

Hence, while a life with the cannibalistic community might appear as an intriguing hypothesis, the actual truth of whether he ended up there remains uncertain.