What Lies Beneath U.S. Soil May Hold the Key to the Nation’s Next Great Turning Point
WASHINGTON, May 02, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — According to former CIA advisor Jim Rickards, America may be sitting on a legacy far greater than anything accounted for in its budgets, policies, or market forecasts.
“It’s not buried in a vault. It’s buried in plain sight,” Rickards says. “And it could be the single greatest advantage the United States has never used.”
That advantage? Vast mineral wealth held beneath federal lands — rich in copper, lithium, silver, and rare earth elements — with potential long-term value estimates reaching as high as $150 trillion.
A RESOURCE-RICH LEGACY, LEFT UNTOUCHED
Rickards argues that while these federally controlled lands have been regulated and protected for over a century, their true strategic value has never been prioritized.
“This was never about hiding something,” he says. “It was about forgetting to look.”
These reserves now hold materials that are central to national defense, clean energy, tech innovation, and global competitiveness.
A SHIFTING LEGAL AND STRATEGIC LANDSCAPE
Following the Supreme Court’s 2024 decision to overturn the Chevron Doctrine, Rickards says a new legal opening has emerged — one that could invite broader reassessment of how the government approaches land access and mineral development.
“It’s not about flipping a switch,” he clarifies. “It’s about realizing that the terrain of law and policy has changed — and so must our strategy.”
NOT A DISCOVERY — A DECISION
Rickards emphasizes that the resource is known, mapped, and real. The question now is whether it will remain dormant, or finally be included in America’s forward-looking strategy.
“We inherited this advantage,” Rickards says. “But we haven’t claimed it. And time may be running out to decide how — or if — we will.”
About Jim Rickards
Jim Rickards is a lawyer, economist, and national security expert who has advised the CIA, Pentagon, and U.S. Treasury. He’s the author of multiple New York Times bestsellers, including Currency Wars, The Road to Ruin, and The Death of Money, and is known for uncovering hidden risks and overlooked advantages in global systems.
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