‘The American Lockbox’: Long-Sealed Federal Asset May Finally Be Unlocked

Jim Rickards: “They didn’t spend it. They didn’t raid it. They just left it alone—and now the numbers are staggering.”

/EIN News/ -- WASHINGTON, April 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to national security advisor and legal strategist Jim Rickards, America may be days away from opening what he calls the country’s “greatest financial lockbox”—a trove of physical wealth that has quietly accumulated beneath the surface of U.S. federal lands for over 160 years.

“The nature of this ‘trust’ is such that politicians haven’t been able to raid it… which has allowed it to grow untouched… for decades,” Rickards says.

He’s referring to a little-known provision established during the 42nd Congress—buried deep in Title 30 of the U.S. Code—that set aside vast areas of resource-rich land under federal control. Unlike Social Security or other government funds, this reserve has never been monetized.

“This is different. Very different,” Rickards says. “The government has raided the Social Security trust fund so many times, it is practically gone. But this... was sealed off.”

Chevron Doctrine Falls, Lockbox Opens

For decades, environmental regulations and federal red tape blocked any meaningful access to these public reserves. That changed when the Supreme Court struck down the Chevron Doctrine—a policy Rickards says allowed unelected agency officials to halt projects without oversight.

“It essentially gave so-called government experts ‘kill shot’ power,” he says. “But all that’s over now.”

With that ruling, Rickards says the lockbox may finally be opened—and what’s inside is staggering.

$150 Trillion and Counting

According to Rickards, the current estimated value of the federal mineral reserve sits at around $150 trillion—a figure he says dwarfs the national debt and rivals the largest sovereign wealth funds on Earth.

“It’s enough to pay off the national debt, four-times over,” he says.

The resources include lithium, copper, silver, and other strategic materials that power everything from electronics to defense systems.

“This vast mineral wealth belongs to the people,” he adds. “But they’ve been locked out of it for generations.”

A Turning Point in U.S. Policy

More than an economic story, Rickards calls this a constitutional correction—a moment when America reclaims what’s already hers.

“They have deprived us of OUR Birthright,” Rickards says.

He believes this moment could mark a return to the original vision of American self-reliance and resource sovereignty—what President Trump recently referred to as “the system that made us richer and more powerful than ever before.”

About Jim Rickards

Jim Rickards is a bestselling author, attorney, and former advisor to the CIA, Pentagon, and U.S. Treasury. With over 40 years of experience in national security, economics, and global strategy, Rickards has been on the front lines of major financial crises and policy reforms. His books include Currency Wars, The Road to Ruin, and The Death of Money, and his strategic forecasts have earned recognition across the intelligence and financial communities.

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