 "As Trump sets eyes on Greenland, his former aides aim for gains from mining in Arctic island: Report")
As President Donald Trump signals renewed intent to bring Greenland under US control, attention has shifted to the activities of several of his former aides who have been linked to mining ventures tied to the Arctic island. The developments come as Trump presses his case on national security grounds, despite opposition from Greenland and Denmark.
Trump has publicly vowed to acquire Greenland, saying it could be taken “one way or the other”. The stance has kept the island in global headlines while business interests connected to his former inner circle have quietly taken shape.
Former Trump aides tied to GreenMet
Among those linked to Greenland-related ventures are George Sorial, a former executive vice president and chief compliance counsel at the Trump Organisation, and Keith Schiller, the organisation’s former director of security who later ran Oval Office operations during Trump’s first term. Both men hold interests in a company known as GreenMet, reported OCCRP.
In April 2025, GreenMet announced a strategic partnership with Tanbreez Mining Greenland A/S, which holds a licence to mine rare earth minerals on the island. Reportedly, GreenMet described Tanbreez as the “only shovel ready rare earth project in Greenland”.
GreenMet operates as the trade name of Greentech Minerals Holdings Inc. Corporate registry documents in Washington DC list Sorial and Schiller among the beneficial owners, alongside chief executive Drew Horn. Horn previously served as an aide to former Vice President Mike Pence and worked as a national security official during Trump’s first administration.
Limited public role acknowledged
Horn has openly discussed his business interests in Greenland. The involvement of Sorial and Schiller has drawn less public attention.
Sorial told OCCRP that he and Schiller “are not actively involved with GreenMet or Greenland”.
“We are passive minority shareholders in GreenMet and have no management role in the company,” he said in an emailed response.
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View AllReporters also examined two other individuals connected to Trump who had business interests linked to Greenland and were later appointed to influential government roles related to the territory.
Ethical questions raised
The pursuit of Greenland-linked deals by GreenMet has prompted ethical concerns from observers.
Norman Eisen, a former US ambassador and founder of the Democracy Defenders Fund, said, “Trump’s illegal and illegitimate designs on Greenland would be bad enough. But they are made worse by allegations that Trump associates have ties to companies who could benefit from the president’s actions.”
The business activity comes as the US government continues efforts to acquire Greenland against the wishes of most of its population of 57,000. Leaders in Greenland and Denmark, which has controlled the territory since 1721, have both rejected the idea.
Despite objections, Trump and his supporters have continued to advocate for a US takeover.
Horn appeared on Fox and Friends on January 14, praising the administration’s approach and claiming Greenlanders “are absolutely tired of being exploited and oppressed by the Danes as they have been for the last 100 years”.
He added, “You know, the era of colonialism is over.”
Web of connections around rare earths
Another figure linked to both GreenMet and the Trump administration is the company’s former chief geologist, Ned Mamula. He was confirmed last October as director of the US Geological Survey, which a February 2025 Congressional report described as “a lead federal science agency responsible for mineral resources research and analysis”.
Mamula previously worked at the Energy Department during Trump’s first term and is a former CIA analyst, according to his LinkedIn profile. He is still listed as an adviser on a GreenMet website, although he filed a form this month stating he had divested from the company.
In 2024, Mamula published a book titled Undermining Power, with Horn writing the foreword. Both argued for a strong US role in controlling rare earth minerals worldwide for national security reasons.
Rare earth deposits like those in Greenland are critical for electronics manufacturing, including green energy and defence technology. Trump has repeatedly cited these resources, along with Greenland’s strategic Arctic location.
“One way or the other, we’re going to get it,” Trump told the US Congress in March 2025.
High-profile visits to Greenland
On January 7, 2025, weeks before his father’s inauguration, Donald Trump Jr arrived in Greenland aboard a Trump Organization aircraft. Sorial later shared photos from the trip on LinkedIn using the hashtags #minerals #usa #nationalsecurity. There is no evidence that the Trump family is pursuing business interests in Greenland.
Vice President JD Vance visited Greenland soon after and urged residents to break ties with Denmark.
One organiser of both visits was Thomas Dans, a former Treasury Department official during Trump’s first term. A former investment banker, Dans now runs an organisation called American Daybreak, which he registered as income-tax-exempt shortly before Trump’s re-election.
Dans wrote on X that “American Daybreak has worked on strengthening U.S.-Greenlandic ties for a long time, including helping to organise the visit of the President’s son to Greenland in January”.
Funding, appointments and unanswered questions
Arctic Today reported that Dans had “worked on icebreaker construction” after leaving the first Trump administration. American Daybreak’s disclosure for 2024 lists $160,000 in contributions, grants or gifts, without naming the sources.
The organisation said it had educated Americans “on the ways Greenland’s traditions of self-determination influence the relationship between the United States and Greenland”.
Dans did not respond to questions about the group’s role in the Greenland trips or its activities.
Last month, Trump appointed Dans to lead the US Arctic Research Commission, a body that advises the president on the Arctic region, including Greenland.
Sorial worked at the Trump Organization from 2002 until Trump’s first inauguration. After Trump took office in 2016, Sorial reported directly to Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump until leaving the company in 2019. He later wrote a 2019 book titled The Real Deal.
In December 2024, Sorial and Schiller launched a lobbying and consulting firm, Javelin Advisors LLC, describing themselves as “former Trump advisors”. The firm’s website states: “Founded by Insiders. Defined by Access.”
Javelin has no known business in Greenland but has worked on critical minerals. Justice Department filings show it was hired by the Pakistan government last year to pursue a proposed rare earth minerals agreement with the US.
Mining project advances with US backing
Sorial and Schiller continue to hold shares in GreenMet alongside Horn. Horn told OCCRP that both men resigned from board and advisory roles in early 2025 and have since remained passive shareholders.
He said GreenMet “focuses exclusively on US business activities that support US Policy Goals”.
In June 2025, GreenMet said it helped Tanbreez investor Critical Metals Corp. secure backing to buy into the Greenland project. Both companies said they received a letter of interest from the US Export Import Bank for a $120-million package to help develop the site.
“GreenMet has played a central role in advancing the project by securing US government support and working with private capital partners,” the company said.
Bloomberg reported that Horn personally briefed Trump’s team using photos of the site. Critical Metals Corp. took a controlling interest in September 2025, although Tanbreez began pursuing mining rights in the early 2000s.
As these business links developed, Trump made another Greenland-related appointment in December. He named Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry as special envoy to Greenland, despite Landry having no known previous connection to the island. Donald Trump Jr. had campaigned for Landry in September 2023.
A week before the appointment, Louisiana officials announced an $850-million investment to build a critical minerals refinery. The announcement did not specify where the minerals would come from. The company involved, ElementUSA, also contracts with the Defense Department.
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