Nicolas Niarchos | Cobalt, China & The Congo... The Elements Of Power

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Jan 19, 2026

Nicolas Niarchos, a journalist for The New Yorker and author of *Elements of Power*, dives deep into the cobalt supply chains that spark geopolitical tensions. He unpacks the brutal history of cobalt extraction in the Congo, linking it to the rise of China's technological power and the modern kleptocracy. Niarchos reveals the complexities of artisanal mining, corruption, and how multinational companies shape local economies. He also highlights the urgent need for ethical practices in the mining industry as electrification fuels skyrocketing demand.

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INSIGHT

Congo Dominates Global Cobalt Supply

Eighty percent of the world's cobalt now comes from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Most of that supply is controlled by Chinese companies and up to 20% is artisanal hand-mined.

ANECDOTE

Kinshasa's Rapid Urban Growth

Kinshasa is expected to have 40 million people by 2050, compounding pressure on resources and services.
The world will need more of what's beneath Congolese feet than ever before.

INSIGHT

Katanga's Geological Legacy

Katanga's copper deposits historically linked to cobalt shaped colonial and post-colonial extraction.
Cobalt began as a copper impurity and rose to strategic importance by mid-20th century.

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In this episode, New Yorker journalist Nicolas Niarchos discusses the supply chains behind the clean energy transition from child miners and Chinese-owned mega-mines to the coming global scramble for critical minerals.

I’ve been eagerly anticipating his new book, and I reckon it is tailor made for this podcast. It’s the history of cobalt it’s extraction and it’s applications and shows how a single mineral has reshaped geopolitics, powered the rise of China’s technological superiority, and further locked millions of Congolese into one of the most brutal extraction economies on earth.

This is a story that begins with King Leopold the second the original plunder of the Congo but then runs through Cold War dictatorships and kleptocracy, and ends with Apple, Tesla, BYD, and the race to dominate the future of energy.

It’s Nic’s second appearance on this podcast on a similar subject, therefore we avoided to go-over all the same ground as last time. The first episode was about his New Yorker piece on artisanal mining in the Congo, his arrest in the Congo and the foundations for his worldview in covering this issue.

Today we go into his new book. Inside the mines of Katanga, inside the rise of China’s battery empire, inside the corruption that still governs Congo’s political system, and inside the coming resource wars that will define the next half-century.

Eighty percent of the world’s cobalt now comes from the Congo.
Most of it is controlled by Chinese companies.
As much as 20% of it is still dug out of the ground by hand.
Kinshasa, Congo’s capital, is expected to have 40,000,000 people by 2050.

And the world is about to need more of what’s beneath their feet than ever before.