Gold
Why the World’s Billionaire Investors Buy Precious Metals
There are always lessons that can be learned from the “smart money”.
Unlike regular investors, billionaire money managers like Ray Dalio and Stan Druckenmiller are professional investors. They have entire institutional teams at their disposal, dive deep into the nuances and complexities of the market, and spend every waking moment of their lives thinking about how to get more from their investments.
They want to make money – but they also want to execute on strategies that will protect their wealth and build robust portfolios that can withstand any type of macro event.
Turning to Gold
In recent months, some of these elite investors have turned to precious metals like gold as a part of their overall investment strategies.
In the following infographic from Sprott Physical Bullion Trusts, we explain why these investors are adding precious metals to their portfolios, the underlying tactics, and the best quotes each investor has on assessing today’s market.
Why are these billionaires buying precious metals?
Their cited reasons can basically be summed up with six categories: wealth preservation, store of value, inflation hedge, portfolio diversification, future upside, and investment fundamentals.
What Billionaire Investors are Doing
1. Lord Jacob Rothschild
In late summer 2016, Rothschild announced changes to the RIT Partners portfolio because he was worried about very low interest rates, negative yields, and quantitative easing, saying they are part of the “greatest monetary experiment in monetary policy in the history of the world”.
His solution? Buy gold to help preserve wealth, and as a store of value for the future.
2. David Einhorn
Einhorn has a similar assessment. He believes that monetary policy is becoming increasingly adventurous, and that this – along with the policies of the Trump administration – will eventually lead to large amounts of inflation.
In February 2017, he shorted sovereigns, and bought gold.
3. Ray Dalio
Ray Dalio is the founder of the world’s top hedge fund, Bridgewater Associates, but he’s also no stranger to gold.
If you don’t own gold, you know neither history nor economics.
– Ray Dalio, Bridgewater Associates
More recently, in 2016, Dalio is quoted as telling investors to own a well-diversified portfolio that is 5-10% gold.
4. Stanley Druckenmiller
Druckenmiller, some people argue, is the best money manager of all time.
Lately, he’s placed his bets on gold as well, but for different reasons than the above managers. Druckenmiller has always placed big trades with lots of conviction, and in February 2017 he put his money in gold because “no country wants its currency to strengthen”.
Mining
Visualizing the New Era of Gold Mining
This infographic highlights the need for new gold mining projects and shows the next generation of America’s gold deposits.


Visualizing the New Era of Gold Mining
Between 2011 and 2020, the number of major gold discoveries fell by 70% relative to 2001-2010.
The lack of discoveries, alongside stagnating gold production, has cast a shadow of doubt on the future of gold supply.
This infographic sponsored by Novagold highlights the need for new gold mining projects with a focus on the company’s Donlin Gold project in Alaska.
The Current State of Gold Production
Between 2010 and 2021, gold production increased steadily until 2018, before leveling and falling.
Year | Gold Production, tonnes | YoY % Change |
---|---|---|
2010 | 2,560 | - |
2011 | 2,660 | 3.9% |
2012 | 2,690 | 1.1% |
2013 | 2,800 | 4.1% |
2014 | 2,990 | 6.8% |
2015 | 3,100 | 3.7% |
2016 | 3,110 | 0.3% |
2017 | 3,230 | 3.9% |
2018 | 3,300 | 2.2% |
2019 | 3,300 | 0.0% |
2020 | 3,030 | -8.2% |
2021 | 3,000 | -1.0% |
Along with a small decrease in gold production from 2020 levels, there were no new major gold discoveries in 2021. Meanwhile, annual demand for the yellow metal increased by 10%, up from 3,651 tonnes to 4,020 tonnes.
The fall in production and long-term lack of gold discoveries point towards a possible imbalance in gold supply and demand. This calls for the introduction of new gold development projects that can fill the supply-demand gap in the future.
Sustaining Supply: Gold For the Future
Jurisdictions play an important role when looking for projects that could sustain gold production well into the future.
From political stability to trustworthy legal systems, the characteristics of a jurisdiction can make or break mining projects. Amid ongoing market uncertainty, political turmoil, and resource nationalism, projects in safe jurisdictions offer a better investment opportunity for investors and mining companies.
As of 2021, seven of the top 10 mining jurisdictions for investment were located in North America, according to the Fraser Institute. Here’s a look at the top five gold-focused development projects in the region, based on measured and indicated (M&I) gold resources:
Project | M&I Gold Resource, million ounces* | Grade (grams/tonne) | Location |
---|---|---|---|
KSM | 88.4Moz | 0.51g/t | British Columbia 🇨🇦 |
Donlin Gold** | 39.0Moz | 2.24g/t | Alaska 🇺🇸 |
Livengood | 13.6Moz | 0.60g/t | Alaska 🇺🇸 |
Côté Gold | 13.6Moz | 0.96g/t | Ontario 🇨🇦 |
Blackwater | 11.7Moz | 0.61g/t | British Columbia 🇨🇦 |
*Inclusive of mineral reserves. **See cautionary statement regarding Donlin Gold’s mineral reserves and resources.
Located in Alaska, one of the world’s safest mining jurisdictions, Novagold’s Donlin Gold project has the highest average grade of gold among these major projects. For every tonne of ore, Donlin Gold offers 2.24 grams of gold, which is more than twice the global average grade of 1.03g/t.
Additionally, Donlin Gold is the second-largest gold-focused development project in the Americas, with over 39 million ounces of gold in M&I resources inclusive of reserves.
Novagold is focused on the Donlin Gold project in equal partnership with Barrick Gold. Click here to learn more now.

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