Michael Silver (CEO)

Last updated
Michael N. Silver
Michael Silver American Elements CEO.jpg
Born (1955-05-10) May 10, 1955 (age 68)
NationalityAmerican
Alma mater University of Southern California
OccupationMaterials Science Entrepreneur & Inventor
Organization(s)Chairman & CEO, American Elements
Trustee, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
Director, Institute of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles [1]
Known forFounder of American Elements
Materials Science Pioneer
Rare Earths & Inner Mongolia
Philanthropy

Michael Nathan Silver (born May 10, 1955) is a business executive, philanthropist, art collector, and commentator. He is the founder and CEO of American Elements, [2] a global high-technology materials manufacturer. He helped establish the post-Cold War rare earth supply chain from China to the U.S. and Europe. His philanthropy includes sponsoring materials science and green technology conferences [3] and educational television programs on high technology and contributing funding to the arts. He served as a trustee of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and serves on the directors council of the Getty Museum and on the board of directors of the Institute of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, CA. He writes and speaks on science education [4] and Sino-American relations. [5]

Contents

Early life and education

Michael Silver was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. He attended the University of Southern California (USC) receiving a B.A. degree in behavioral neuroscience in 1978 and then attended USC's JD/MBA dual degree program graduating in 1982. He practiced corporate law for 10 years, specializing in mergers & acquisitions. [3]

Business career

Silver with UCLA delegation in Inner Mongolia in 2011 Silver with UCLA delegation.jpg
Silver with UCLA delegation in Inner Mongolia in 2011

In the mid-1990s Silver founded American Elements as a manufacturer and metals refiner of rare earths and other critical metals serving U.S. industry. Upon the closing of Unocal/Molycorp in Mountain Pass, California and the Rhodia rare earth refinery in Freeport, Texas, ending U.S. rare earths metal production, he established the post-Cold War rare earth supply chain from Inner Mongolia, China to the U.S., Europe and Japan. [6] [7] He then established American Elements facilities in Salt Lake City, Utah; Monterrey, Mexico; Baotou, China; [8] and Manchester, England and expanded production to include newly discovered elemental forms of other advanced materials such as nanoparticles, [9] green technology & alternative energy materials [10] [11] and advanced military alloys. [12] In February 2021, Mr. Silver acquired 100% ownership of New Harbour Distillery, a South African-based distiller. [13]

Philanthropic activities

Silver established the not-for-profit American Elements' Academics & Periodicals Department in 2006 which supports high school, college and graduate school education in high technology and materials science. [3] The Department has sponsored academic and industry conferences in fields including space exploration, [14] nanotechnology, [15] green technologies, [16] solar energy [16] and robotics. [17] In 2011, it co-sponsored with the National Science Foundation a four-part PBS TV series on NOVA entitled "Making Stuff" examining the world of materials science. [18] Silver hosted a delegation in 2011 from the UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles, California to the Inner Mongolian Medical Teaching College in Baotou, China which has led to student and teacher exchanges and the development of a joint AIDS program. He served as a trustee of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County (2017-2021) and serves as a member of the board of directors of the Institute of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles and the Sarara Initiative in Northern Kenya and the council of the Getty Research Institute in Los Angeles. He also serves on the directors council of the Getty Museum in Los Angeles and has underwritten artists in residence at the UCLA Hammer Museum. In winter 2021, Mr. Silver established the Michael Silver Fund with a gift to the J. Paul Getty Museum. In recognition of the gift, the Getty Board of Trustees named the Michael Silver Family Gallery at the museum. [19] He has made in-kind donations of artwork to the National Museum of African American History & Culture in Washington, DC. [20]

Writing and speeches

Silver writes and speaks on several topics including:

In 2010, Silver coined the phrases "Innovation Distortion" [38] to describe efforts to avoid the use of a given element solely because of concerns that it may be hoarded by nations with resource control of that material and "The Environmentalism Catch-22" to describe the dilemma faced by the environmental movement which both supports a green technology future reliant on solar energy, wind power, electric cars and fuel cells and concurrently opposes the mining of the critical metals from which these technologies are manufactured. [22] In October 2014, Silver's editorial discussing these ideas was published in The Wall Street Journal . [29]

Silver coined the phrase "Sovereign Monopolies" to describe nations that have a sufficient percent of the world's reserves of a given metal or mineral that they can dictate its cost and force industries requiring the metal to move production to their country to obtain preferential pricing. [39]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dysprosium</span> Chemical element, symbol Dy and atomic number 66

Dysprosium is a chemical element; it has symbol Dy and atomic number 66. It is a rare-earth element in the lanthanide series with a metallic silver luster. Dysprosium is never found in nature as a free element, though, like other lanthanides, it is found in various minerals, such as xenotime. Naturally occurring dysprosium is composed of seven isotopes, the most abundant of which is 164Dy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lanthanum</span> Chemical element, symbol La and atomic number 57

Lanthanum is a chemical element; it has symbol La and atomic number 57. It is a soft, ductile, silvery-white metal that tarnishes slowly when exposed to air. It is the eponym of the lanthanide series, a group of 15 similar elements between lanthanum and lutetium in the periodic table, of which lanthanum is the first and the prototype. Lanthanum is traditionally counted among the rare earth elements. Like most other rare earth elements, the usual oxidation state is +3, although some compounds are known with oxidation state +2. Lanthanum has no biological role in humans but is essential to some bacteria. It is not particularly toxic to humans but does show some antimicrobial activity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lutetium</span> Chemical element, symbol Lu and atomic number 71

Lutetium is a chemical element; it has symbol Lu and atomic number 71. It is a silvery white metal, which resists corrosion in dry air, but not in moist air. Lutetium is the last element in the lanthanide series, and it is traditionally counted among the rare earth elements; it can also be classified as the first element of the 6th-period transition metals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neodymium</span> Chemical element, symbol Nd and atomic number 60

Neodymium is a chemical element; it has symbol Nd and atomic number 60. It is the fourth member of the lanthanide series and is considered to be one of the rare-earth metals. It is a hard, slightly malleable, silvery metal that quickly tarnishes in air and moisture. When oxidized, neodymium reacts quickly producing pink, purple/blue and yellow compounds in the +2, +3 and +4 oxidation states. It is generally regarded as having one of the most complex spectra of the elements. Neodymium was discovered in 1885 by the Austrian chemist Carl Auer von Welsbach, who also discovered praseodymium. It is present in significant quantities in the minerals monazite and bastnäsite. Neodymium is not found naturally in metallic form or unmixed with other lanthanides, and it is usually refined for general use. Neodymium is fairly common—about as common as cobalt, nickel, or copper and is widely distributed in the Earth's crust. Most of the world's commercial neodymium is mined in China, as is the case with many other rare-earth metals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ore</span> Rock with valuable metals, minerals and elements

Ore is natural rock or sediment that contains one or more valuable minerals concentrated above background levels, typically containing metals, that can be mined, treated and sold at a profit. The grade of ore refers to the concentration of the desired material it contains. The value of the metals or minerals a rock contains must be weighed against the cost of extraction to determine whether it is of sufficiently high grade to be worth mining, and is therefore considered an ore. A complex ore is one containing more than one valuable mineral.

Unobtainium is a term used in fiction, engineering, and common situations for a material ideal for a particular application but impractically difficult to obtain. Unobtainium originally referred to materials that do not exist at all, but can also be used to describe real materials that are unavailable due to extreme rarity or cost. Less commonly, it can mean a device with desirable engineering properties for an application that are exceedingly difficult or impossible to achieve.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rare-earth element</span> Any of the fifteen lanthanides plus scandium and yttrium

The rare-earth elements (REE), also called the rare-earth metals or rare earths or, in context, rare-earth oxides, and sometimes the lanthanides, are a set of 17 nearly indistinguishable lustrous silvery-white soft heavy metals. Compounds containing rare earths have diverse applications in electrical and electronic components, lasers, glass, magnetic materials, and industrial processes.

A period 5 element is one of the chemical elements in the fifth row of the periodic table of the chemical elements. The periodic table is laid out in rows to illustrate recurring (periodic) trends in the chemical behaviour of the elements as their atomic number increases: a new row is begun when chemical behaviour begins to repeat, meaning that elements with similar behaviour fall into the same vertical columns. The fifth period contains 18 elements, beginning with rubidium and ending with xenon. As a rule, period 5 elements fill their 5s shells first, then their 4d, and 5p shells, in that order; however, there are exceptions, such as rhodium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Precious metal</span> Rare, naturally occurring metallic chemical element of high economic and cultural value

Precious metals are rare, naturally occurring metallic chemical elements of high economic value. Precious metals, particularly the noble metals, are more corrosion resistant and less chemically reactive than most elements. They are usually ductile and have a high lustre. Historically, precious metals were important as currency but are now regarded mainly as investment and industrial raw materials. Gold, silver, platinum, and palladium each have an ISO 4217 currency code.

This is a list of prices of chemical elements. Listed here are mainly average market prices for bulk trade of commodities. Data on elements' abundance in Earth's crust is added for comparison.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">China Minmetals</span> Chinese metal and minerals company

China Minmetals Corporation is a Chinese metals and mineral trading company headquartered in Beijing. It is a state-owned corporation under direct supervision of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC). China Minmetals is engaged in the production and trading of metals and minerals, including copper, aluminum, tungsten, tin, antimony, lead, zinc, and nickel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yttrium</span> Chemical element, symbol Y and atomic number 39

Yttrium is a chemical element; it has symbol Y and atomic number 39. It is a silvery-metallic transition metal chemically similar to the lanthanides and has often been classified as a "rare-earth element". Yttrium is almost always found in combination with lanthanide elements in rare-earth minerals and is never found in nature as a free element. 89Y is the only stable isotope and the only isotope found in the Earth's crust.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cerium</span> Chemical element, symbol Ce and atomic number 58

Cerium is a chemical element; it has symbol Ce and atomic number 58. Cerium is a soft, ductile, and silvery-white metal that tarnishes when exposed to air. Cerium is the second element in the lanthanide series, and while it often shows the oxidation state of +3 characteristic of the series, it also has a stable +4 state that does not oxidize water. It is also considered one of the rare-earth elements. Cerium has no known biological role in humans but is not particularly toxic, except with intense or continued exposure.

The Mountain Pass Rare Earth Mine and Processing Facility, owned by MP Materials, is an open-pit mine of rare-earth elements on the south flank of the Clark Mountain Range in California, 53 miles (85 km) southwest of Las Vegas, Nevada. In 2020 the mine supplied 15.8% of the world's rare-earth production. It is the only rare-earth mining and processing facility in the United States.

Molycorp Inc. was an American mining corporation headquartered in Greenwood Village, Colorado. The corporation, which was formerly traded on the New York Stock Exchange, owned the Mountain Pass rare earth mine in California. It filed for bankruptcy in June 2015 after changing competitive circumstances, declining prices on output and a 2014 restructuring. It was purchased by its largest creditor Oaktree Capital Management and was reorganized as Neo Performance Materials.

American Elements is a global manufacturer and distributor of advanced materials with an over 35,000-page online product catalog and compendium of information on the chemical elements, advanced materials, and high technology applications. The company's headquarters and educational programs are based in Los Angeles, California. Its research and production facilities are located in Salt Lake City, Utah; Monterrey, Mexico; Baotou, China; and Manchester, UK.

The rare earths trade dispute, between China on one side and several countries on the other, was over China's export restrictions on rare earth elements as well as tungsten and molybdenum. Rare earth metals are used to make lithium ion (li-on) batteries, top of the line neodymium magnets, defense products and many electronics.

Since 2011 the European Commission has assessed every 3 years a list of Critical Raw Materials (CRMs) for the EU economy within its Raw Materials Initiative. To date, 14 CRMs were identified in 2011, 20 in 2014, 27 in 2017 and 30 in 2020. These materials are mainly used in energy transition and digital technologies. Then in March 2023 Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed the Critical Raw Materials Act, "for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the European Council establishing a framework for ensuring a secure and sustainable supply of critical raw materials". At the time, Europe depended on China for 98% of its rare-earth needs, 97% of its lithium supply and 93% of its magnesium supply.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Environmental footprint of electric cars</span>

Electric cars have a smaller environmental footprint than conventional internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEVs). While aspects of their production can induce similar, less or alternative environmental impacts, they produce little or no tailpipe emissions, and reduce dependence on petroleum, greenhouse gas emissions, and health effects from air pollution. Electric motors are significantly more efficient than internal combustion engines and thus, even accounting for typical power plant efficiencies and distribution losses, less energy is required to operate an EV. Manufacturing batteries for electric cars requires additional resources and energy, so they may have a larger environmental footprint from the production phase. EVs also generate different impacts in their operation and maintenance. EVs are typically heavier and could produce more tire and road dust air pollution, but their regenerative braking could reduce such particulate pollution from brakes. EVs are mechanically simpler, which reduces the use and disposal of engine oil.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lunar resources</span> Potential natural resources on the Moon

The Moon bears substantial natural resources which could be exploited in the future. Potential lunar resources may encompass processable materials such as volatiles and minerals, along with geologic structures such as lava tubes that, together, might enable lunar habitation. The use of resources on the Moon may provide a means of reducing the cost and risk of lunar exploration and beyond.

References

  1. ↑ "ICA LA Board of Directors". Institute of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles. Retrieved 2020-07-24.
  2. ↑ Bloomberg (2014-08-08). "Bloomberg West, Interview with Corey Johnson, August 8, 2014". Bloomberg.
  3. 1 2 3 "OSA Executive Series, Steve Jacobs interviews Michael Silver". Osa.org. June 27, 2012. Retrieved 2014-08-04.
  4. ↑ "Larry O'Connor Show - Mike Silver Interview". Blogtalkradio.com. 2011-11-30. Retrieved 2014-08-04.
  5. ↑ "Rare Earth Junior Miners Should Applaud China". Community.nasdaq.com. 2012-05-22. Retrieved 2018-03-21.
  6. ↑ "Let Them Compete! Solving the Rare Earth Dilemma". Industry Week. 2011-06-15. Retrieved 2019-03-15.
  7. ↑ Lasley, Shane (2011-10-30). "China Moves to Gain High-Tech Dominance: AE Exec Provides Insight". Mining News. Retrieved 2019-03-15.
  8. ↑ Vaporean, Carole (2007-02-13). "Supplies of new chip metal hafnium remain untested". Reuters. Retrieved 2019-03-15.
  9. ↑ "American Elements announces I-MITE™ Indium nanoparticles for next generation transparent anti-static packaging and coatings". Nanotechnology News. 2008-08-29.
  10. ↑ RenewableEnergyWorld.com (2007-03-16). "American Elements announces new AE Solar Energy™ Product Group, Renewable Energy World - March 16, 2007". Renewableenergyworld.com. Retrieved 2014-08-04.
  11. ↑ Bradsher, Keith (2011-09-15). "China Consolidates Grip on Rare Earths". New York Times. Retrieved 2019-03-15.
  12. ↑ "American Elements announces new technological advance in precious metal foil manufacturing," Industrial Manufacturing News - May 4, 2007 Archived May 24, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  13. ↑ "Invest in Cape Town and the Western Cape, a Place of More". 2021-06-02. Retrieved 2021-06-02.
  14. ↑ ISROS Sponsors Archived April 24, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  15. ↑ "NanoMed Sponsors". Nanomed.uk.com. Retrieved 2014-08-04.
  16. 1 2 "SPIE Sponsors". Asmeconferences.org. Retrieved 2014-08-04.
  17. ↑ "Magnesium 2012 Sponsors". Archived from the original on 2012-07-03. Retrieved 2012-11-19.
  18. ↑ "NOVA | Making Stuff: Series Overview". Pbs.org. Retrieved 2014-08-04.
  19. ↑ "The Getty Magazine | About the Getty | Archived Winter 2021". The Getty Magazine. Retrieved 2023-12-11.
  20. ↑ "ICA LA Announces Inaugural Gala Bruncheon Honoring Carrie Mae Weems, A Capital Campaign Milestone and Three New Board Members". ICA LA. Archived from the original on 2017-08-20. Retrieved 2014-02-08.
  21. ↑ Silver, Michael; Quinn, Hal (2012-11-22). "'Call of Duty' video game highlights real threat". The Washington Times.
  22. 1 2 ""Critical Metals & American Jobs in the 21st Century" (Video) - CEO Michael Silver's Keynote Address at the 118th NWMA Annual Meeting". American Elements. December 5, 2012.
  23. ↑ "China, a Rare Earths Giant, Set to Start Importing the Elements". New York Times. 2012-07-11. Retrieved 2019-03-15.
  24. ↑ Stanway, David (2011-09-15). "Rare Earth Prices to Stay High as China Extends Crackdown". Reuters. Retrieved 2019-03-15.
  25. ↑ Silver, Michael N. (2011). "The real issues with rare earths". Nature Photonics. 5 (3): 127. doi: 10.1038/nphoton.2011.26 .
  26. ↑ Stanway, David (2012-03-13). "WRAPUP 4-US, EU, Japan Take On China at WTO Over Rare Earths". Reuters. Retrieved 2019-03-15.
  27. ↑ Lasley, Shane (2012-10-30). "Geopolitics trump geology in Fairbanks". Mining News. Retrieved 2019-03-15.
  28. ↑ David, Anthony (2011-10-03). "Will the U.S. Ever Build A Strategic Metals Reserve?". The Market Oracle. Retrieved 2019-03-15.
  29. 1 2 "The Environmentalist's Catch-22". online.wsj.com. Retrieved 2014-10-10.
  30. ↑ Lasley, Shane (2012-12-30). "Minerals critical to restoring luster". Mining News. Retrieved 2019-03-15.
  31. ↑ Berezowsky, Taras (2012-03-14). "China's Rare Earths Export Restrictions in Obama's Crosshairs – Part One". MetalMiner. Retrieved 2019-03-15.
  32. ↑ "Le Ministère est "prêt" à faire face à l'avancée des terres rares". People's Daily. 2002-02-02. Retrieved 2019-03-15.
  33. ↑ "White House Should Include Rare Earths in China Trade Deal - Michael Silver interviewed by CNN's Richard Quest". CNN. 2019-03-01. Retrieved 2019-03-15.
  34. ↑ Silver, Michael (2019-04-14). "China's Dangerous Monopoly on Metals". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2019-04-16.
  35. ↑ Landler, Mark; Risen, James (2017-07-25). "Trump Finds Reason for the U.S. to Remain in Afghanistan: Minerals". New York Times. Retrieved 2018-06-15.
  36. ↑ Silver, Michael (2017-07-25). "Help Afghans Exploit Their Mineral Riches". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2019-03-15.
  37. ↑ "American Elements CEO to Trump: Stop North Korean Radioactive Black Market". Fox Business News. 2018-06-13. Retrieved 2018-06-15.
  38. ↑ "Critical materials issues cut both ways". Mining Journal. 2014-03-28. Retrieved 2018-03-21.
  39. ↑ "WTO Rules Against China On Rare Earths Export Restrictions". Bloomberg BNA International Trade Reporter. Bna.com. March 28, 2014. Retrieved 2014-08-04.
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