Thomas Kaplan
Dr. Thomas Kaplan is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Electrum Group. He is a renowned entrepreneur and investor with a proven track record of creating and unlocking shareholder value in public and private companies. His ability to superimpose historical and geopolitical understandings onto financial and commodity cycles led to one of the strongest track records in the natural resources sector over the past two decades. He is also a passionate art collector, active environmentalist, and wildlife conservationist.
Thomas Kaplan Professional Experience / Academic History
Professional Experience
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Founder, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer
Academic History
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Bachelor's Degree in Modern History
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Master's Degree in Modern History
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Doctoral Degree in Modern History
- Dr. Kaplan was born in New York City and was raised in Florida, where he formed a strong passion for wildlife conservation.
- His fascination with commodities started while he was a doctoral student studying history at Oxford University.
- His doctoral dissertation covered the Malayan counterinsurgency and the manner in which commodities influenced strategic planning during the Cold War.
- He began investing in natural resources in 1993. His initial focus was on silver mining.
- He has developed a reputation for being bullish on gold.
- He correctly predicted the steep increase in the commodity's price following the Great Recession.
- Together with his wife, he has invested over $100 million in the cause of endangered species preservation over the last decade.
- He is the Founder and Chairman of Panthera, the global leader in big cat conservation.
- He is the Founder of The Leiden Collection, the world’s largest private collection of Rembrandt and the Dutch Golden Age art.
- He is the past President and Chairman of the 92nd Street Y, Manhattan’s premier cultural and community center.
- He was awarded the Legion of Honor, and the Order of Arts and Letters, for his services to France.
- He has appeared as a guest on Real Vision.