From Boom to Bust and Back (Ken Brinsden)

Ken Brinsden joins us today to trace a remarkable career across the mining industry, from underground gold and Victorian mineral sands to building Atlas Iron and turning Pilbara Minerals into a lithium powerhouse. Ken shares his journey from the highest highs and down to the troughs, only to rise back up. From the debt & commodity cycle that stumped Atlas, to the brutal 2020 lithium downturn and the masterstroke acquisition of Altura out of receivership, plus the auctions that forced price changes on the market. We explore with him: • From Kalgoorlie roots to gold, mineral sands and iron ore • Atlas Iron’s rise, the debt trap, and lessons on raising early • Building Pilbara Minerals and the Altura receivership masterstroke • Patriot, Quebec, and why lithium demand is wildly underestimated 📰 THE DIRECTOR'S SPECIAL Join 16k+ subscribers to the Director’s Special: one daily email with all the news that matters in mining https://www.moneyofmine.com/subscribe ------------------------------------------------------- ▶️ CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS 0:00 - Boomtown Careers Teaser 5:40 - Atlas Iron Supercycle 12:00 - Debt Lessons and Ports 24:20 - Lithium Awakening 45:50 - Ready for Altura 52:40 - Team Sacrifice Culture 59:40 - BMX Auction Price Discovery 1:10:50 - Leaving for Shaka Juan 1:28:50 - Demand Story Wrap Up ------------------------------------------------------- 🤝 OUR PARTNERS Thank you to the mining services businesses that make this show possible: Sandvik Ground Support – The only ground support you’ll ever need | http://www.rocktechnology.sandvik/gro... Metalshub - The leading supply chain software to buy, sell and trade raw materials | https://www.metals-hub.com/en/money-o... Focus by Marketech – All your mining news and market needs in one powerful platform | 10-day free trial: https://marketech.com.au/focus?utm_so... SS&C Intralinks - Powering deals with unmatched security and efficiency | https://www.intralinks.com/ Exceed Capital – Diversify your portfolio with Exceed’s property trusts - https://www.exceedcapital.com.au/the-... ------------------------------------------------------- 📌 FOLLOW US Join our group chat: Discord:   / discord   Subscribe to our podcast: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0LsIJIs... Apple: https://apple.co/3Fdocwx Follow us on all social platforms to stay up-to-date: Twitter: https://x.com/moneyofminepod Instagram:   / moneyofminepod   LinkedIn:   / moneyofmine   Facebook:   / moneyofminepod   TikTok:   / moneyofminepod   Our personal Twitter accounts: Travis Ricciardo:   / travmoneyofmine   Jonas Dorling:   / jdmoneyofmine   ------------------------------------------------------- ⚠️ DISCLAIMER All information in this podcast is for education and entertainment purposes only and is of general nature only. The hosts of Money of Mine are not financial professionals. Money of Mine and our contributors are not aware of your personal financial circumstances. Before making any investment decision, you should consult a licensed financial, legal or tax professional. Money of Mine doesn’t operate under an Australian financial services licence and relies on the exemption available under the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) in respect of any information or advice given. MoM strive to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this podcast but we don’t make any representation or warranty that it’s accurate or up to date. Any views expressed by the hosts of Money of Mine are their opinions only and may contain forward-looking statements that may not eventuate. Please read the full Disclaimer here: https://www.moneyofmine.com/privacy-p...