25 years ago today a major copper-gold porphyry was discovered in the South Gobi desert of Mongolia. 🇲🇳
The discovery went on to become Oyu Tolgoi mine, one of the largest copper-gold mining operations in the world and now jointly owned by @RioTinto and the Government of Mongolia.
On October 9, 2023, I was honoured to receive the Order of the Polar Star, the highest honour available to foreigners in Mongolia, from the President of Mongolia.
The greatest honour, however, is what has become of that discovery hole 150… According to Rio Tinto, 20,000 people now work at the Oyu Tolgoi mine, of which 97% are Mongolians. Oyu Tolgoi is expected to be one of the world’s top 5 largest copper mines in the world by 2030.
July 17, 2001 was a good day.
The images below are of the original press release announcing the discovery, a photo of discovery hole 150 (taken in 2007 with the shaft in the background) and what the vast complex looks like today, 25 years after the discovery.
@OTMongolia
💥22nd June, 2026 Ahmedabad & Gandhinagar to merge into a single Urban entity. Planning for 25% of Gujarat population to live here.
The total city area will jump to 5,000-6,000 sq km under the new development plan with the Olympics 2036 in aim.
13th January, 2026 #Prediction Ahmedabad will be the largest city in the country.
You might see this guy today and think he came from a good background, not knowing how much he struggled to get here. That's the story of a lot of developers and successful people. Wherever you are right now, a breakthrough is still possible.
>Be Elon
>Get bullied so badly as a kid that you end up in the hospital
>Escape into books
>Read more than 8hrs a day
>Teach yourself programming
>Sell a video game at 12
>Leave South Africa
>Sleep on couches
>Work odd jobs
>Get into America
>Build a startup
>Get fired from your own company
>Start over
>Build another company
>Merge it into PayPal
>Get removed as CEO
>Your company gets acquired
>Walk away with nearly $180 million
>Instead of retiring at 31, put almost all of it into three impossible ideas: Electric cars, Solar energy, Rockets
>People tell you you're insane
>Start a rocket company with no aerospace degree
>Learn rocket science from textbooks
>First rocket fails
>Second rocket fails
>Third rocket fails
>Divorce
>Public humiliation
>Cash running out
>One launch away from bankruptcy
>Launch anyway
>The fourth rocket reaches orbit
>NASA signs a contract
>Survive
>Tesla is weeks from collapse
>Save it at the last minute
>Get mocked for wanting reusable rockets.
>Land one.
>Then another.
>Then dozens.
>Turn science fiction into engineering
>Get mocked for betting on EVs
>Turn electric cars into status symbols
>Force the entire auto industry to follow
>Build the most valuable car company in history
>Launch astronauts into orbit
>Create a global satellite internet network.
>Buy Twitter
>Fire most of the staff
>Rename it X
>Walk into politics
>Risk your reputation
>Risk your companies
>Risk your fortune
>Become one of the most polarising people on Earth.
>Get attacked by the media, politicians, competitors, and activists
>Keep building anyway
>Become a TRILLIONAIRE