Billionaire’s environmental philanthropy questioned in Vox interview
10 reported
A Vox reporter interviewed billionaire investor and philanthropist Tom Kaplan about his environmental giving, revealing tensions between his mining business and wildlife conservation work. Kaplan auctioned a Rembrandt drawing for nearly $18 million, donating proceeds to Panthera, a wild cat conservation group he co-founded. During the interview, Kaplan dismissed questions about mining's environmental impact, stating mining has a "very, very tiny footprint" compared to agriculture and climate change. He accused the reporter of making up public tension between mining and conservation. Vox later interviewed four mining experts who disputed Kaplan's claim that mining has no detrimental impact on wild cats. Panthera itself lists mining as a threat to at least two wild feline species, and the IUCN lists mining as a threat to 19 cat species. Kaplan declined further comment after the initial interview. The article notes that for every dollar spent to protect nature, the UN recently reported more than $30 goes toward destroying it from private industries.
What’s reported
Tom Kaplan auctioned a Rembrandt drawing at Sotheby's in New York City for nearly $18 million
Kaplan donated the proceeds to Panthera, a wild cat conservation group he co-founded
Kaplan became a billionaire through mining and investing in natural resources including silver, gold, and natural gas
Kaplan is founder and chair of The Electrum Group and chair of NovaGold Resources
Kaplan told Vox mining has "very, very tiny footprint" and no detrimental impact on wild cats
Four mining experts interviewed by Vox disputed Kaplan's claim about mining's impact
Panthera lists mining as a threat to the flat-headed cat and Andean cat
IUCN lists mining as a threat to 19 cat species including jaguars, Andean cats, and tigers
Kaplan declined further comment after the initial interview
The UN recently reported that for every dollar spent to protect nature, more than $30 goes toward destroying it
Key figures
Tom Kaplan: billionaire investor, philanthropist, founder and chair of The Electrum Group, chair of NovaGold Resources, co-founder of Panthera
Sara Herschander: Vox colleague who attended the auction
Stephen Prince: multimillionaire, vice-chair of Patriotic Millionaires
Glen Galaich: author of "Control: Why Big Giving Falls Short," CEO of Stupski Foundation
Jessie Bluedorn: young philanthropist and environmental organizer, founder of Carmack Collective
Tamara Toles O'Laughlin: CEO of Environmental Grantmakers Association
Sources: vox.com
