Rare Fortune.

James Litinsky, a hedge fund manager, made a fortune from rare earths and helped bolster U.S. strategic interests with the help of Chinese financing. Litinsky initially visited the Mountain Pass rare earths mine in 2015 due to concerns about his hedge fund's investment in distressed bonds issued by the mine's owner. After the mine filed for bankruptcy, Litinsky took a risky gamble to salvage the mine and his investors' money. He received federal support and assistance from the Chinese, who also became loyal customers. Litinsky's efforts paid off, and he is now the CEO of MP Materials, which operates the thriving Mountain Pass mine. [Extracted from the article]