MP Materials owns and operates Mountain Pass, the only integrated rare earth mining and processing site in North America. Our success will drive the onshoring of jobs, national security and a carbon-reduced future.
The green technologies of the future—electric vehicles, wind turbines, drones, and more—depend on powerful rare earth magnets to turn energy into motion. Without the consistent and trusted supply provided by MP Materials, the entire supply chain for critical magnetic materials has shifted to Asia, primarily China. MP Materials serves as the beachhead for a renaissance in domestic manufacturing. It starts with us.
James Litinsky
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Michael Rosenthal
Chief Operating Officer
Ryan Corbett
Chief Financial Officer
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Elliot Hoops
General Counsel
James H. Litinsky is the Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of MP Materials (NYSE: MP). Mr. Litinsky is the Founder, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer of JHL Capital Group LLC, an alternative investment management firm. Before founding JHL in 2006, he was a member of the Drawbridge Special Opportunities Fund at Fortress Investment Group. Prior to Fortress, he was a Director of Finance at Omnicom Group, and he worked as a merchant banker at Allen & Company. Mr. Litinsky received a B.A. in Economics from Yale University, cum laude, and a J.D./M.B.A. from the Northwestern University School of Law and the Kellogg School of Management. He was admitted to the Illinois Bar. Mr. Litinsky also serves as a member of the Boards of the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab and the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago.
Michael Rosenthal is a Founder and the Chief Operating Officer of MP Materials (NYSE:MP). He has managed the Mountain Pass operation since the Company acquired the site in 2017. Before MP Materials, he was a Partner at QVT Financial, an investment management firm. At QVT, Mr. Rosenthal concentrated on investments in the global automotive sector and in China. Prior to joining QVT, he worked as a senior high yield credit analyst for Shenkman Capital Management. Mr. Rosenthal graduated from Duke University with an A.B. degree in Economics and Comparative Area Studies.
Ryan S. Corbett joined MP Materials (NYSE:MP) as its Chief Financial Officer in 2019. Prior to joining MP Materials, he was a Managing Director at JHL Capital Group LLC, an alternative investment management firm, where he focused on JHL’s investment in MP Materials. Before JHL, Mr. Corbett was a member of alternative asset managers Brahman Capital Corp. and King Street Capital Management LP, both based in New York, where he focused on special situations investments across the capital structure. Mr. Corbett began his career in investment banking and corporate finance at Morgan Stanley & Co. after graduating magna cum laude from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania with a concentration in Finance.
Elliot D. Hoops joined MP Materials Corp. (NYSE: MP) as its General Counsel and Secretary in May 2021. Prior to joining MP Materials, he was Vice President and Deputy General Counsel at Penn National Gaming, Inc., a regional gaming company, from January 2019 to May 2021, where he was responsible for a variety of legal matters, including commercial transactions, financings, corporate governance, securities law and gaming regulatory compliance. Prior to joining Penn National Gaming, Inc., he was Vice President and Legal Counsel at Pinnacle Entertainment, Inc., a regional gaming company (which was acquired by Penn National Gaming, Inc.), from June 2007 to October 2018. Prior to Pinnacle Entertainment, Inc., he was an associate at Holland and Knight LLP and an attorney advisor with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Mr. Hoops received his B.A. in English from the University of Michigan, J.D. from the University of Miami, and LL.M. in Securities and Financial Regulation from Georgetown University Law Center.
James H. Litinsky is the Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of MP Materials (NYSE: MP). Mr. Litinsky is the Founder, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer of JHL Capital Group LLC, an alternative investment management firm. Before founding JHL in 2006, he was a member of the Drawbridge Special Opportunities Fund at Fortress Investment Group. Prior to Fortress, he was a Director of Finance at Omnicom Group, and he worked as a merchant banker at Allen & Company. Mr. Litinsky received a B.A. in Economics from Yale University, cum laude, and a J.D./M.B.A. from the Northwestern University School of Law and the Kellogg School of Management. He was admitted to the Illinois Bar. Mr. Litinsky also serves as a member of the Boards of the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab and the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago.
Michael Rosenthal is a Founder and the Chief Operating Officer of MP Materials (NYSE:MP). He has managed the Mountain Pass operation since the Company acquired the site in 2017. Before MP Materials, he was a Partner at QVT Financial, an investment management firm. At QVT, Mr. Rosenthal concentrated on investments in the global automotive sector and in China. Prior to joining QVT, he worked as a senior high yield credit analyst for Shenkman Capital Management. Mr. Rosenthal graduated from Duke University with an A.B. degree in Economics and Comparative Area Studies.
Ryan S. Corbett joined MP Materials (NYSE:MP) as its Chief Financial Officer in 2019. Prior to joining MP Materials, he was a Managing Director at JHL Capital Group LLC, an alternative investment management firm, where he focused on JHL’s investment in MP Materials. Before JHL, Mr. Corbett was a member of alternative asset managers Brahman Capital Corp. and King Street Capital Management LP, both based in New York, where he focused on special situations investments across the capital structure. Mr. Corbett began his career in investment banking and corporate finance at Morgan Stanley & Co. after graduating magna cum laude from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania with a concentration in Finance.
Elliot D. Hoops joined MP Materials Corp. (NYSE: MP) as its General Counsel and Secretary in May 2021. Prior to joining MP Materials, he was Vice President and Deputy General Counsel at Penn National Gaming, Inc., a regional gaming company, from January 2019 to May 2021, where he was responsible for a variety of legal matters, including commercial transactions, financings, corporate governance, securities law and gaming regulatory compliance. Prior to joining Penn National Gaming, Inc., he was Vice President and Legal Counsel at Pinnacle Entertainment, Inc., a regional gaming company (which was acquired by Penn National Gaming, Inc.), from June 2007 to October 2018. Prior to Pinnacle Entertainment, Inc., he was an associate at Holland and Knight LLP and an attorney advisor with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Mr. Hoops received his B.A. in English from the University of Michigan, J.D. from the University of Miami, and LL.M. in Securities and Financial Regulation from Georgetown University Law Center.
James H. Litinsky is the Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of MP Materials (NYSE: MP). Mr. Litinsky is the Founder, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer of JHL Capital Group LLC, an alternative investment management firm. Before founding JHL in 2006, he was a member of the Drawbridge Special Opportunities Fund at Fortress Investment Group. Prior to Fortress, he was a Director of Finance at Omnicom Group, and he worked as a merchant banker at Allen & Company. Mr. Litinsky received a B.A. in Economics from Yale University, cum laude, and a J.D./M.B.A. from the Northwestern University School of Law and the Kellogg School of Management. He was admitted to the Illinois Bar. Mr. Litinsky also serves as a member of the Boards of the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab and the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago.
Ms. Duckworth is a former Partner and Managing Director of Goldman Sachs, and retired in 2000, following a nineteen-year career. She was named Partner in 1990, the first woman sales and trading partner in the firm’s history. After Goldman Sachs, Ms. Duckworth founded ARZU in 2004 to empower destitute women weavers in rural Afghanistan and served pro bono as its Chairman and CEO until its merger with UK-based Turquoise Mountain in 2019. Ms. Duckworth is a Trustee of Equity Residential (NYSE: EQR) in Chicago and a Director of Steelcase Inc. (NYSE: SCS) in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Previously, she served on the Boards of Directors of Northwestern Mutual, Russell Investment Group, Nuveen Investments, Smurfit Stone Container Corporation, and DNP Select Income Fund. In her philanthropic work, Ms. Duckworth is a Trustee of the University of Pennsylvania, an Overseer of The Wharton School, and a member of the International Board of Advisors of the University of Texas at Austin. She serves on the Board of NorthShore University HealthSystem, in Evanston, Illinois, where she was the first and only woman Chairman of the Board. She is a founding member of the U.S.-Afghan Women’s Council in Washington, D.C., and a member of the Bush Institute’s Women’s Initiative Policy Advisory Council in Dallas. The recipient of numerous awards for leadership, social impact and innovation, Ms. Duckworth holds an M.B.A. from the Wharton School and a B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin.
Mr. Gold is the Founder and CEO of QVT Financial LP, an alternative investment management firm, and the QVT Family Office. Prior to founding QVT he was a Managing Director at Deutsche Bank, where he managed the proprietary trading group which became QVT via a spinout in 2003. Before Deutsche Bank he worked at Daiwa Securities and Bear Stearns. Mr. Gold graduated from Harvard College with an A.B. in Physics.
Ms. Lavan is the Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE: LMT), a global security and aerospace company principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services operating in four business segments: Aeronautics, Missiles and Fire Control, Rotary and Mission Systems and Space. In this role, she is responsible for the legal affairs and law department of Lockheed Martin, including serving as counsel to its senior leadership and Board of Directors. She previously served as the Vice President of Corporate Internal Audit for Lockheed Martin, providing independent assessments of governance, internal controls, and risk management. She joined Lockheed Martin in 1990. Ms. Lavan graduated magna cum laude from the State University of New York at Albany with a Bachelor of Science degree. She received her juris doctor degree from the Washington College of Law, American University. Ms. Lavan is a member of the Public Contract Law Section of the American Bar Association. She serves on the governing bodies for the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity, Equal Justice Works, Council for Court Excellence, University at Albany Foundation, and Fordham University.
Mr. McKnight is a Managing Partner of the Credit Funds Business based in San Francisco, CA. Mr. McKnight heads the liquid strategies and serves on the investment committee for the Credit Funds and is a member of the Management Committee of Fortress. Mr. McKnight is also the Co-CIO of the Drawbridge Special Opportunities Fund, Fortress Lending Fund and Fortress Credit Opportunities Fund V. In addition, Mr. McKnight is currently the CEO of Fortress Value Acquisition Corp.
Retired U.S. Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers serves as the President of Kansas State University, where he is also a professor of military history and leadership. Gen. Myers loyally served his country for forty years and retired as a four-star general. From 2001-2005, he served as the 15th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. As chairman, Myers was the highest-ranking uniformed officer of U.S. military forces and served as the principal military adviser to President George W. Bush, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, and the National Security Council. Since retirement from the military, Myers has served on several public and non-profit boards, and also held the Colin Powell Chair for National Security Leadership, Ethics, and Character at National Defense University.
Mr. Weisenburger founded Mile 26 Capital in January 2015. Previously, he was the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE: OMC) from 1998 through 2014. Before joining Omnicom, Mr. Weisenburger was a founding member of Wasserstein Perella and a former member of the First Boston Corporation. Mr. Weisenburger currently serves on the Board of Carnival Corporation (NYSE: CCL), Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE: VLO), and Corsair Components Inc. Mr. Weisenburger holds a MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance and Accounting from Virginia Tech.
James H. Litinsky is the Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of MP Materials (NYSE: MP). Mr. Litinsky is the Founder, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer of JHL Capital Group LLC, an alternative investment management firm. Before founding JHL in 2006, he was a member of the Drawbridge Special Opportunities Fund at Fortress Investment Group. Prior to Fortress, he was a Director of Finance at Omnicom Group, and he worked as a merchant banker at Allen & Company. Mr. Litinsky received a B.A. in Economics from Yale University, cum laude, and a J.D./M.B.A. from the Northwestern University School of Law and the Kellogg School of Management. He was admitted to the Illinois Bar. Mr. Litinsky also serves as a member of the Boards of the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab and the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago.
Ms. Duckworth is a former Partner and Managing Director of Goldman Sachs, and retired in 2000, following a nineteen-year career. She was named Partner in 1990, the first woman sales and trading partner in the firm’s history. After Goldman Sachs, Ms. Duckworth founded ARZU in 2004 to empower destitute women weavers in rural Afghanistan and served pro bono as its Chairman and CEO until its merger with UK-based Turquoise Mountain in 2019. Ms. Duckworth is a Trustee of Equity Residential (NYSE: EQR) in Chicago and a Director of Steelcase Inc. (NYSE: SCS) in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Previously, she served on the Boards of Directors of Northwestern Mutual, Russell Investment Group, Nuveen Investments, Smurfit Stone Container Corporation, and DNP Select Income Fund. In her philanthropic work, Ms. Duckworth is a Trustee of the University of Pennsylvania, an Overseer of The Wharton School, and a member of the International Board of Advisors of the University of Texas at Austin. She serves on the Board of NorthShore University HealthSystem, in Evanston, Illinois, where she was the first and only woman Chairman of the Board. She is a founding member of the U.S.-Afghan Women’s Council in Washington, D.C., and a member of the Bush Institute’s Women’s Initiative Policy Advisory Council in Dallas. The recipient of numerous awards for leadership, social impact and innovation, Ms. Duckworth holds an M.B.A. from the Wharton School and a B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin.
Mr. Gold is the Founder and CEO of QVT Financial LP, an alternative investment management firm, and the QVT Family Office. Prior to founding QVT he was a Managing Director at Deutsche Bank, where he managed the proprietary trading group which became QVT via a spinout in 2003. Before Deutsche Bank he worked at Daiwa Securities and Bear Stearns. Mr. Gold graduated from Harvard College with an A.B. in Physics.
Ms. Lavan is the Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE: LMT), a global security and aerospace company principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services operating in four business segments: Aeronautics, Missiles and Fire Control, Rotary and Mission Systems and Space. In this role, she is responsible for the legal affairs and law department of Lockheed Martin, including serving as counsel to its senior leadership and Board of Directors. She previously served as the Vice President of Corporate Internal Audit for Lockheed Martin, providing independent assessments of governance, internal controls, and risk management. She joined Lockheed Martin in 1990. Ms. Lavan graduated magna cum laude from the State University of New York at Albany with a Bachelor of Science degree. She received her juris doctor degree from the Washington College of Law, American University. Ms. Lavan is a member of the Public Contract Law Section of the American Bar Association. She serves on the governing bodies for the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity, Equal Justice Works, Council for Court Excellence, University at Albany Foundation, and Fordham University.
Mr. McKnight is a Managing Partner of the Credit Funds Business based in San Francisco, CA. Mr. McKnight heads the liquid strategies and serves on the investment committee for the Credit Funds and is a member of the Management Committee of Fortress. Mr. McKnight is also the Co-CIO of the Drawbridge Special Opportunities Fund, Fortress Lending Fund and Fortress Credit Opportunities Fund V. In addition, Mr. McKnight is currently the CEO of Fortress Value Acquisition Corp.
Retired U.S. Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers serves as the President of Kansas State University, where he is also a professor of military history and leadership. Gen. Myers loyally served his country for forty years and retired as a four-star general. From 2001-2005, he served as the 15th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. As chairman, Myers was the highest-ranking uniformed officer of U.S. military forces and served as the principal military adviser to President George W. Bush, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, and the National Security Council. Since retirement from the military, Myers has served on several public and non-profit boards, and also held the Colin Powell Chair for National Security Leadership, Ethics, and Character at National Defense University.
Mr. Weisenburger founded Mile 26 Capital in January 2015. Previously, he was the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE: OMC) from 1998 through 2014. Before joining Omnicom, Mr. Weisenburger was a founding member of Wasserstein Perella and a former member of the First Boston Corporation. Mr. Weisenburger currently serves on the Board of Carnival Corporation (NYSE: CCL), Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE: VLO), and Corsair Components Inc. Mr. Weisenburger holds a MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance and Accounting from Virginia Tech.
1865
The Clark Mining District is organized, named after Senator William A. Clark, the "Copper King" of Montana
1870-1895
Gold, Silver, Copper, Zinc, Lead, and Antimony prospecting and mining
1949
The Mountain Pass deposit, including the Birthday Claims and Sulphide Queen carbonatite, is discovered
1952
Molybdenum Corporation of America begins rare earth production at Mountain Pass after purchasing the recently discovered claims
2010
Project Phoenix—a >$1.5Bn investment and modernization program—begins at Mountain Pass
Q4 2017
Mining operations are restarted at Mountain Pass
2018
First sales of rare earth concentrate
Rare earths power the modern economy. They are essential to a wide range of clean energy, information technology, defense, and industrial applications.
Production at Mountain Pass started in 1952. With one of the world’s highest quality deposits and more than 7% rare earth content, Mountain Pass became the primary global source from the 1960s to the 1990s. More recently, China established a dominant position across the entire rare earth supply chain, and rare earth mining, processing and magnet production largely ceased in the United States.
MP Materials acquired Mountain Pass in 2017 after the site’s previous owner experienced severe operational and financial challenges. At the time, the site was cold-idled with eight employees. Almost immediately, new management restarted production and embarked on a three-stage plan to fulfill our Mission to restore the full rare earth supply chain to the United States.
Since restarting operations, MP Materials has overcome the operational challenges faced by the site’s previous owner and scaled production at Mountain Pass dramatically. In 2020, MP Materials produced more than 38,500mt of rare earths in concentrate, representing more than 15% of global consumption and an all-time high in the 60-year history of Mountain Pass. The mixed rare earth concentrated we produce today is an intermediate product that requires further processing in Asia.
Following completion of our Stage II optimization project, expected in 2022, MP Materials will re-commission the integrated processing facilities at Mountain Pass. Concurrently, the MP Materials Stage III team is working to restore the capacity to manufacture rare earth metals and permanent magnets in the United States.
The fulfillment of our Mission will set the foundation for a renewed, self-sufficient, and resilient American rare earth industry amidst the backdrop of a generational industrial renaissance towards electrification and decarbonization.
Today, China dominates the rare earth industry across the full supply chain, representing a single point-of-failure to industries that drive our economic prosperity and national security. Mountain Pass is one of the world’s highest quality rare earth deposits, enabling MP Materials to be a global low-cost producer while adhering to rigorous environmental standards and fulfilling our commitments to employees and our community.
