 Once solved, Monckton claimed that the earlier-than-expected solution had forced him to sell his 67-room house, Crimonmogate, to pay the prize.In 2006, he said that the claim had been a PR stunt to boost sales over Christmas, that the house's sale was unrelated to the prize as he was going to sell it anyway.As soon as the puzzle was launched, an online community emerged devoted to solving it, centred on a mailing list on which many ideas and techniques were discussed.