Exhibit 99.1
![LOGO](https://capedge.com/proxy/8-K/0001193125-20-296150/g23121g1117114056941.jpg)
MP Materials Completes Business Combination and Will Begin Trading on the NYSE under “MP”
MOUNTAIN PASS, CA – NOVEMBER 17, 2020 – MP Materials, the largest rare earth materials producer in the Western Hemisphere, today announced the completion of its business combination with Fortress Value Acquisition Corp. (NYSE: FVAC), a special purpose acquisition company sponsored by an affiliate of Fortress Investment Group LLC (“Fortress”). The combined company, MP Materials Corp. (“MP Materials” or “the Company”), will begin trading on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) tomorrow, November 18th, under the ticker symbol “MP”.
MP Materials owns and operates Mountain Pass, an iconic American industrial asset, which is the only rare earth mining and processing site of scale in the Western Hemisphere and currently produces approximately 15% of global rare earth content. The market for separated rare earth elements is expected to see significant growth, as these materials are critical inputs for the magnets that enable the mobility of electric vehicles, drones, defense systems, wind turbines, robotics and many other high-growth, advanced technologies. MP Materials’ integrated operations at Mountain Pass uniquely combine low production costs with best-in-class environmental standards, thereby restoring American leadership to a critical industry with a strong commitment to sustainability.
MP Materials raised $545 million in capital through the transaction, including $345 million of FVAC’s cash in trust and a $200 million PIPE led by institutional investors including Slate Path Capital, Chamath Palihapitiya and Omega Family Office. The capital raised from the transaction fully funds MP’s Stage II optimization plan, whereby the Company expects to become a fully integrated provider of separated rare earth oxides, with a focus on Neodymium-Praseodymium, one of the most crucial inputs for magnetics, by 2022.
“Today is an important milestone in our mission to restore the full rare earth supply chain to the United States of America,” said James Litinsky, Chairman and CEO of MP Materials. “As world infrastructure electrifies, American leadership across this entire industrial supply chain is critical to our economic and national security. MP Materials has a profitable first stage business, a long term, multi-stage execution roadmap for value creation, a fully funded balance sheet, and a committed leadership team and Board of Directors. Our team is very proud to lead the way in onshoring a vital industry, to build a growing enterprise and to deliver positive outcomes to all of our stakeholders supported by our foundational commitments to sustainability and strong governance.”
Litinsky continued, “I want to thank Drew McKnight and the Fortress team for their partnership and support and also welcome our new public investors to this exciting and important journey.”
In addition to Chairman and CEO James Litinsky, MP Materials will continue to be led by its experienced management team, including: Michael Rosenthal, Chief Operating Officer; Ryan Corbett, Chief Financial Officer; and Sheila Bangalore, Chief Strategy Officer and General Counsel. In addition to Messrs. Litinsky and McKnight, the Company’s Board of Directors includes former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General (Ret.) Richard Myers; former Omnicom Group CFO Randy Weisenburger; Founder and CEO of QVT Financial LP, Dan Gold; Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary for Lockheed Martin Corporation, Maryanne Lavan; and former Partner and Managing Director of Goldman Sachs, Connie Duckworth.