It turns out that intense Internet sleuthing can occasionally pay off. Following Twitter user Mike Edgette’s viral discovery that the official KFC account only follows the five former Spice Girls and six men named Herb — a reference to the secret blend of 11 herbs and spices in Colonel Sanders’ fried chicken recipe — the fast food giant has rewarded Edgette with a priceless gift.

“@KFC follows 11 people,” he wrote in an October tweet that has been liked over 715,000 times and retweeted more than 322,000. “Those 11 people? 5 Spice Girls and 6 guys named Herb. 11 Herbs & Spices. I need time to process this.”

Now, Edgette has shared that KFC thanked him for his investigative work by commissioning a portrait of its founder giving him a piggyback ride through a beautiful woodland landscape. “Dreams DO come true,” he tweeted on Saturday alongside several shots of the glorious painting, adding the hashtag #GiddyUpColonel. “Thanks @kfc.”

Get The Brief. Sign up to receive the top stories you need to know right now. Please enter a valid email address. Sign Up Now Check the box if you do not wish to receive promotional offers via email from TIME. You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Thank you! For your security, we've sent a confirmation email to the address you entered. Click the link to confirm your subscription and begin receiving our newsletters. If you don't get the confirmation within 10 minutes, please check your spam folder.

Write to Megan McCluskey at megan.mccluskey@time.com.