From Silicon Valley to Silver Mining: John Lee's Journey and Vision for Silver Elephant
In this episode, we chat to John Lee, CEO and Executive Chairman of Silver Elephant, a TSX & OTC listed mining company with growing silver production from its 100% owned Pulacayo Paca mining project in Bolivia. John has an Economics and Engineering degree, is a CFA charter holder and accredited investor who specialises in mining M&A, raising over $150 million through the TSX and TSX Venture Exchange for junior companies since 2009. Today, he’s going to talk through Silver Elephant, the political and economic risks operating in Bolivia, gives us more of an insight into the silver market, and discuss what the future holds for humanity and why it's important to hold physical gold and silver. KEY TAKEAWAYS John has over 25 years of experience in the mining industry, transitioning from investing in mining stocks to running mining companies. He has raised over $150 million for junior mining companies and has a specialisation in silver. Silver Elephant, formerly known as Prophecy, has been focused on silver since 2016. The Pulacayo project in Bolivia is one of the largest underground silver mines in the world, with over 107 million ounces of indicated silver and a production rate of close to 100 tons per day. Bolivia has experienced fluctuations in foreign investment, particularly under different political regimes. Despite challenges, the country has a strong mining tradition and is considered economically stable, with a growing infrastructure and community relations that are crucial for mining operations. Silver Elephant prioritises sustainability by ensuring environmental protection, local employment, and community training programs. The company aims to leave the project in better condition than it was found, focusing on safety and economic benefits for the local community. BEST MOMENTS "Bolivia is actually the sixth largest silver producer, despite all the lack of foreign investments. It actually produces more silver per year than Argentina." "My definition of ESG is to make sure that we provide economic benefits and skill training. We ensure that the safety and environmental protocols adhere to the absolute highest standards." "The resources are massive, so we don't rely on additional discoveries in order to expand our operations." "I think the reason for that is the metals haven't really caught up to inflation. So the mining companies really haven't delivered cash flow and dividend to shareholders." VALUABLE RESOURCES Mail: rob@mining-international.org LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-tyson-3a26a68/ X: https://twitter.com/MiningRobTyson YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/DigDeepTheMiningPodcast Web: http://www.mining-international.org John Lee Email: jlee@silverelef.com John Lee Twitter: https://x.com/johnlee25893955Silver Elephant Twitter: https://x.com/SilverElMiningSilver Elephant Website: https://silverelef.com Silver Elephant Tickers: TSX: ELEF; OTCQB: SILEF ABOUT THE HOST Rob Tyson is the Founder and Director of Mining International Ltd, a leading global recruitment and headhunting consultancy based in the UK specialising in all areas of mining across the globe from first-world to third-world countries from Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Australia. We source, headhunt, and discover new and top talent through a targeted approach and search methodology and have a proven track record in sourcing and positioning exceptional candidates into our clients' organisations in any mining discipline or level. Mining International provides a transparent, informative, and trusted consultancy service to our candidates and clients to help them develop their careers and business goals and objectives in this ever-changing marketplace. CONTACT METHOD rob@mining-international.org https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-tyson-3a26a68/ Podcast Description Rob Tyson is an established recruiter in the mining and quarrying sector and decided to produce the “Dig Deep” The Mining Podcast to provide valuable and informative content around the mining industry. He has a passion and desire to promote the industry and the podcast aims to offer the mining community an insight into people’s experiences and careers covering any mining discipline, giving the listeners helpful advice and guidance on industry topics.