opinion

John Thornton has regularly made US$3-million annually as executive chair of Barrick Gold.

Two months in, the narrative is shaping up quite nicely for John Thornton.

Barrick Mining Corp.’s ABX-T board chair won a power battle in September and ousted former chief executive officer Mark Bristow. And since then a tidy picture has been painted: Mr. Bristow simply had to go because he was a brash leader who wouldn’t listen, an executive who was scared of acquisitions and a reckless man who couldn’t play nice with foreign governments.

All of that is true, to varying degrees. But this convenient narrative is also missing a crucial element. Through it all, Mr. Thornton stood side-by-side with Mr. Bristow – not just as board chair but also, until 2024, as executive chair, a position

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