America’s $150 Trillion Potential: Former CIA Advisor Warns We’re Sitting on the Opportunity of a Century
Jim Rickards Says the Key to U.S. Resilience Isn’t a New Policy—It’s Tapping Into What’s Already Ours
WASHINGTON, April 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The figure is staggering: $150 trillion. That’s how much former CIA advisor Jim Rickards believes America’s buried natural resources could be worth based on market estimates—if they were ever brought into play.
“This isn’t about creating wealth out of thin air,” Rickards says. “It’s about recognizing the strategic value of what we already own—and what we’ve ignored for far too long.”
A NATIONAL ADVANTAGE, UNREALIZED
According to Rickards, vast areas of federally controlled land—locked up by decades of red tape and regulatory frameworks—contain the raw materials that power the modern world: lithium, copper, silver, and rare earth elements.
“We’ve allowed foreign nations to dominate markets for these materials,” he explains. “Meanwhile, we’re sitting on what could be the most valuable domestic reserve on Earth.”
A CHANGING LEGAL LANDSCAPE
Rickards points to the 2024 Supreme Court decision overturning the Chevron Doctrine as a potential catalyst for change. The ruling reasserts judicial authority over federal agency interpretations—potentially opening the door for new resource access debates.
“The rules haven’t been rewritten—but the referees have changed,” Rickards says.
“That means the interpretation of land use, permitting, and access could evolve faster than anyone expects.”
FROM OVERLOOKED TO INDISPENSABLE
Rickards isn’t calling for reckless exploitation—but he argues that ignoring the value beneath our own soil is no longer sustainable.
“This is about national independence,” he says. “Economic, industrial, and strategic. If we don’t use this advantage, someone else will find a way to benefit from our inaction.”
$150 TRILLION ISN’T A GUARANTEE—IT’S A WAKE-UP CALL
Rickards says the $150 trillion figure isn’t about accounting—it’s about scale, urgency, and a call for policymakers to take resource security seriously in an era of increasing volatility.
“We’re not talking about what’s in a vault—we’re talking about what’s in the ground,” he says. “And how that could redefine America’s next chapter if we choose to act on it.”
About Jim Rickards
Jim Rickards is a lawyer, economist, and national security advisor who has consulted for the CIA, Pentagon, and U.S. Treasury. Over a four-decade career, he has advised on geopolitical crises, financial risk, and systemic threats. Rickards is the bestselling author of Currency Wars, The Death of Money, and Aftermath.
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