Jim Rickards: "Billions Pour Into Rare Earths as Washington and Wall Street Come Together"
Washington, D.C., Oct. 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- For the first time in decades, Washington and Wall Street are moving in lockstep toward the same goal: reclaiming America's control over the world's most vital resources.
On July 9, 2025, the U.S. government launched its most aggressive response yet to China's 20-year stranglehold on global mineral supply chains. The Pentagon's Defense Logistics Agency authorized $1 billion in purchases of cobalt, antimony, and scandium—materials essential to national defense and artificial intelligence infrastructure.
"The U.S. government admits we rely on China for nearly 100% of 20 key minerals," said former CIA and Pentagon advisor Jim Rickards. "These are critical to everything from NVIDIA's A.I. chips to Elon Musk's EVs, robots, and satellites … to advanced military weaponry like F-16 fighters and drones — practically every device with an ‘on' button."
When Policy, Money, and Markets Collide
The policy shock has already set off a chain reaction across the market.
- MP Materials (NYSE:MP) surged after the government injected $400 million to expand its rare-earth output—and guaranteed to buy production at nearly double market price. Apple followed with a $500 million offtake deal, propelling MP shares from $30 to $76 in a month.
- NioCorp (NASDAQ:NB) then captured headlines with a $10 million Department of Defense grant for its Nebraska project, sending shares up 51% in a week and tripling since the policy push began.
Trump's Mineral Counter-Strike
Now, Rickards says the Pentagon's stockpiling spree aligns with President Trump's broader campaign to unlock America's "buried wealth."
"First – he's pushing to open up all our Federal lands, which hold an estimated $150 trillion in natural resources," Rickards said. "With the swipe of his pen, President Trump unlocked up to 250 million acres which were previously off-limits for more than a century."
The Supreme Court's reversal of the Chevron Doctrine amplified the impact, stripping unelected regulators of their ability to halt resource projects on environmental grounds. Rickards calls it "an historic turning point for America."
The $150 Trillion "Birthright"
In his presentation The American Birthright, Rickards estimates that the mineral reserves beneath U.S. federal lands could be worth more than $150 trillion — a number so large it's enough to pay off the national debt four times over and make every American family a millionaire on paper.
"This is not some kind of government program like those Covid relief checks," Rickards adds. "It's a chance for the average American to become richer than they ever imagined."
That "birthright," Rickards says, is beginning to materialize as federal money and private capital converge. The first beneficiaries — MP Materials, NioCorp— represent what he calls "the front line of America's economic re-industrialization."
A New Era of Resource Independence
From lithium in Nevada to rare-earth corridors in the Midwest, dozens of projects are being revived or accelerated with Washington's backing. The Defense Department's $1 billion stockpile initiative is only the opening phase of a plan that could ultimately mobilize $7.5 billion in public funds — and far more from private markets chasing the opportunity.
About Jim Rickards
Jim Rickards is a former advisor to the CIA, Pentagon, and U.S. Treasury. He predicted the 2008 financial crisis, Donald Trump's 2016 victory, and the 2020 pandemic lockdowns months before they occurred. Today he publishes Strategic Intelligence, a monthly briefing on geopolitics, markets, and national security.
Derek Warren Public Relations Manager Paradigm Press Group Email: [email protected]
