I am fortunate to have a copy of Donald Rumball’s 1996 biography of Canadian business legend Peter Munk, The Making of a Modern Tycoon, on my bookshelf. The unauthorized account covers Munk’s escape from Nazi occupied Hungary to Canada as a Jewish teenager, where he went on to found Claritone, Canada’s preeminent stereo manufacturer, in 1958. Munk was… Continue Reading
Octogenarian self styled ‘treasure hunter’ Dave Lowell, who we called Mining’s Greatest Explorer in a January, 2013 short film about the legend, has launched a new copper exploration and development company, Lowell Copper, and subsequently raised $11.4 million in a financing in which we participated (details). The company’s principal asset is the Ricardo project in… Continue Reading
“To say someone is a legend is flirting with cliché but in this case the cliché is true. My guest today is a legend. The father of the gold royalty model, and an art collector, and a philanthropist and a fan of very fast cars. He is Pierre Lassonde, in 1982 he teamed up with fellow… Continue Reading
The Q1 2013 Newmont Mining conference call was about as somber as a funeral procession and company management offered little for investors to get excited about in the future. The senior gold producers have clearly turned their attention to aggressive cost cutting after years of mining cost inflation and terribly timed spendthrift acquisitions of lackluster… Continue Reading
Meet the natural resources industry’s most respected headhunter. Veteran mining CEO headhunter Bill Haldane has used “Diogenes” — the Greek philosopher who reportedly carried a lamp through Athens during broad daylight, looking for an honest man — as a moniker for over 20 years. “Diogenes was an honest, down-to-earth man, and I have tried to… Continue Reading
Today we had a very significant breakdown in the gold market. Market pundits will go through lists of reasons in an attempt to explain gold’s massive plunge below $1500/ounce. While the fundamental reasons are likely to be quite lengthy, the technical explanation is quite simple; gold had tested the $1550 support level multiple times in… Continue Reading
Amid the felled chief executive officers, shelved projects, tens of billions of dollars that won’t be spent and the barren lines of credit, miners are finding a reason to smile. The very excesses that put them where they are today will help to ease their pain. Equipment and talent are becoming easier to procure. Article:… Continue Reading
John Thornton was paid a staggering US$17-million in 2012, his first year with Barrick, according to a proxy circular filed by the company. That includes an US$11.9-million “special cash sign-on payment” for him to buy Barrick shares on the open market. Mr. Thornton, 59, is viewed as Mr. Munk’s likely successor, and is being treated… Continue Reading
I had the opportunity this week to connect with Jorge Beristain, head of Americas metals and mining equity research at Deutsche Bank. It was a fascinating interview, as Jorge communicates with CEOs of the world’s largest mining companies, and helps guide high-net worth individuals and institutions with their mining investments. Key issues discussed during the… Continue Reading
After 20 years of occupying one of the most influential positions in the global wireless industry, Jim Balsillie has decided to step down. Unable to align himself with the new image CEO Thorston Heins has projected for Blackberry, Balsillie dumped his remaining 5.1% stake and vacated his position as Head Chairman, in what can only… Continue Reading
Eric King of King World News interviewed Franco Nevada Chairman Pierre Lassonde yesterday. Here’s the audio link -> Commenting on the capital markets for miners, Lassonde told the interviewer, “We’re in a period where essentially the market is closed for junior and the smaller, intermedia, one mine companies, they can not raise any money. The valuations are probably the… Continue Reading
China’s Hu Jintao clings to socialist economy in Mao nostalgia speech. Telegraph Investors are gorging on corporate bonds. Is an asset bubble being inflated? Economist France Wine Output Falls to 40-Year Low on Champagne, Beaujolais. Bloomberg Barrick Gold’s Former Chief Sees Virtue in Being Small. Bloomberg Top Pick: Brookfield Asset Management. Globe and Mail African hospitality: No… Continue Reading
Romney Lost Race in Summer After Obama Redefined Resume. Bloomberg Gold, Copper Lead Gains in Commodities as Obama Wins Second Term. Bloomberg Francois Hollande lurches Right in historic U-Turn to save French economy. Telegraph Putin Fires Defense Chief in Rare Move. WSJ Barrick now eclipsed by Goldcorp for title of largest market cap. Financial Post
The Parti Quebecois’ narrow election victory yesterday gave the province’s long-suffering separatists something to cheer about – at least until deadly gunfire from a lunatic introduced tragedy as Pauline Marois celebrated her political party’s win. The election outcome, not to mention the gunfire, likely put a bit of a scare into people – especially outside… Continue Reading
Cameco Acquires BHP Australian Uranium Deposit For $430 Million. Globe and Mail Harper’s Chief of Staff Faces Conflict of Interest Questions Over Barrick Gold Links. Financial Post “Electricity is the Only Commodity in the World That Isn’t Really Stored…When Storage Becomes Cheap and Massive, ‘The Impact Will Be Huge.'” Bloomberg Some Suggest Putin’s Net Worth… Continue Reading
