Robert Martin Friedland is an American businessman, the self-made billionaire Founder and Executive Chairman of Ivanhoe Mines (TSX: IVN), a major global mining and resource exploration company (specializing in copper, nickel, and platinum). His career is rooted in resource extraction, entrepreneurial audacity, and strategic exploration.

Friedland attended Reed College (dropping out and later returning). His philosophical approach centers on scale, technological excellence, and long-term commitment to resource exploration (pioneering the discovery of major, world-class deposits). His structural contribution is tied to pioneering the modern exploration and resource development model in Asia and Africa.

• Ivanhoe Mines (Founder & Executive Chairman): The core publicly traded asset, a major global producer of copper, nickel, and platinum (developing the Kamoa-Kakula copper mine in Congo).
• Mining Pioneer: His success is built on high-stakes resource exploration and scale development of major deposits (a key structural role).
• Controversy/Crisis: His career is linked to environmental controversies (e.g., Voisey's Bay and the Omai mine disaster) and high-profile legal battles.
• Investment Strategy: His philosophy is rooted in long-term investment in resource assets and leveraging the massive global growth of green energy materials (copper, nickel).

Robert Friedland's strategic genius was his commitment to high-risk resource exploration. He founded Ivanhoe Mines (originally Indochina Goldfields) in the 1990s, successfully building it into a major force by specializing in discovering and developing massive, complex resource deposits globally. His structural contribution is immense: pioneering the modern mining exploration model and providing essential copper and nickel for the global clean energy transition.

His structural contribution is tied to his audacious resource development projects (e.g., Kamoa-Kakula). His wealth is secured by the colossal, long-term, stable profitability of the global mining and resource sector.

Robert Friedland's social impact is structural, stemming from Ivanhoe Mines' role in providing essential copper and nickel for the global clean energy transition (EVs, battery storage). His companies contribute significantly to regional economic stability and job creation in the regions where they operate. His personal philanthropy supports various community and educational initiatives.

His structural contribution is tied to the successful monetization and scale of the global resource exploration and development sector.

Robert Friedland maintains the professional, composed style of a corporate executive. His attire is consistently formal and high-quality, favoring tailored suits. His aesthetic reflects serious authority and stability, typical of a leader in the high-capital resource sector.

Residing in Singapore, his luxury is the immense security and financial reward derived from his multi-billion dollar fortune. His life is dedicated to investment strategy, resource exploration, and corporate governance.