Rinehart bets $100m on US defense stocks after rare earths windfall

Gina Rinehart is putting almost US$100 million into American weapons-makers, marking a sharp pivot from her traditional iron ore empire into the military-industrial complex. The investment comes just months after the Pentagon guaranteed floor pricing for rare earth metals that boosted her MP Materials and Lynas holdings by $300 million. Her timing looks prescient: global defense spending is accelerating while her existing rare earths portfolio positions her perfectly within US supply chain priorities. The move transforms Australia's richest woman from a mining magnate into a defense ecosystem player, complete with a $200 million veterans housing pledge that reads like political air cover.