The Big Take
BHP’s $39 Billion Copper Play Was Years in the Making
CEO Mike Henry is unlikely to drop his pursuit despite initial rejection by Anglo.
Mike Henry, chief executive officer of BHP Group, in Melbourne.
Photographer: Carla Gottgens/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
When Mike Henry took over as chief executive officer of BHP Group in 2020, the world’s biggest mining company had lost its swagger.
Bruised by a series of painful missteps and a run-in with activist Elliott Investment Management, the Anglo-Australian behemoth was kicking crucial decisions down the road, and increasingly aware that its reliance on fossil-fuel-heavy commodities could start turning investors away.