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Platinum Price Pushes Past US$1,600 to Fresh 12 Year High

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The platinum price broke US$1,600 per ounce on Monday (September 29), its highest level since April 2013.

What’s moving the platinum price? A number of factors are at play in this notoriously volatile market.

As a precious metal, nearly a quarter of demand for platinum comes from the jewelry sector. When the gold price is high, as it is now at nearly US$3,900 per ounce, platinum jewelry becomes an attractive, lower-cost alternative.

With more than 70 percent of demand for platinum metal coming from the industrial and automotive sectors, the market is highly price sensitive to economic cycles. However, despite the current economic uncertainty that’s driving gold higher, the platinum price is being buoyed by stable demand in the auto sector, emerging demand in the hydrogen fuel cell industry and persistent supply challenges out of major platinum-producing nations like South Africa.

Platinum supply under pressure

Supply constraints are an ongoing trend in the platinum market and a major driver of prices in 2025.

In its Q2 Platinum Quarterly, the World Platinum Investment Council (WPIC) predicts that global platinum mine supply will drop by 6 percent to 5.43 million ounces for this year.

Heavy rainfall and flooding in top producer South Africa in the first quarter of the year had a major impact on an industry already reeling from high-cost electricity and dwindling reserves.

In late August, Paul Dunne, CEO of Northam Platinum Holdings (JSE:NPH) in South Africa, told Reuters that a higher platinum price in 2025 will likely not do much to alleviate the pressures facing production in the country.

“Recent price appreciation is offering some relief to the (platinum-group metals) sector,” he said in a statement. “However, it is still not yet at levels that will support sustainable mining across the industry and certainly not the much-needed development of new operations.”

Suffice it to say that problems in the supply side will continue to support platinum over the longer term.

Platinum demand seen as sustainable

As for platinum demand, Mykuliak sees a few key important drivers, including autocatalysts for hybrid vehicles, increased hydrogen adoption for industrial uses and Chinese demand for platinum jewelry as an alternative to gold.

In the automotive industry, platinum is used in catalytic converters for vehicle exhaust systems for emissions control. The rise of electric vehicles (EVs), which do not require catalytic converters to control emissions, is expected to cut into platinum demand over time.

However, high costs and range anxiety are leading auto buyers to choose hybrids over battery EVs. Because hybrid engines still require catalytic converters, the auto sector continues to be a reliable source for platinum demand.

In the hydrogen sector, platinum has a role as a catalyst in the proton exchange membrane electrolyzers used for green hydrogen production and in hydrogen fuel cells. The WPIC has noted that the hydrogen market be ‘a meaningful component of global demand by 2030 and potentially the largest segment by 2040.’

As for jewelry demand, the WPIC is predicting an increase of 11 percent year-on-year to 2.23 million ounces in 2025. China is expected to represent more than one quarter of that growth as the fabrication of platinum jewelry in the region is expected to grow by 42 percent to 585,000 ounces.

Platinum price outlook

The platinum price has since pulled back from the US$1,600 level, coming in at US$1,558 in midday trading on Thursday (October 2). But a correction is expected in the short term, explained Mykuliak, who believes the fundamental outlook for the precious metal is still positive.

“Looking ahead, I expect volatility. My base case is a US$1,650-US$1,750 range by the year-end, with possible dips toward US$1,450 if profit-taking intensifies,” she said. “On the upside, if South African power disruptions worsen or hydrogen policies accelerate, US$1,850-US$1,950 is realistic, with US$2,000 also within reach.”

Securities Disclosure: I, Melissa Pistilli, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

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Questcorp Mining Provides Update on Private Placement

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Questcorp Mining Inc. (CSE: QQQ,OTC:QQCMF) (OTCQB: QQCMF) (FSE: D910) (the ‘Company’ or ‘Questcorp’) announces that it has revised the terms of its previously announced non-brokered private placement (the ‘Offering’). The Company will now offer up to 7,500,000 units (each, an ‘AI Unit’) at a price of $0.20 per AI Unit for gross proceeds of up to $1,500,000 pursuant to the accredited investor exemption (the ‘Accredited Investor Exemption’) under Section 2.3 of National Instrument 45-106 – Prospectus Exemptions (‘NI 45-106’). In addition, the Company will also offer up to 11,111,112 units (each, a ‘LIFE Unit’) at a price of $0.18 per LIFE Unit for gross proceeds of up to $2,000,000 pursuant to the listed issuer financing exemption under Part 5A of NI- 45-106 (the ‘Listed Issuer Financing Exemption’).

Each AI Unit will consist of one common share of the Company (each, a ‘Share‘) and one-half-of-one share purchase warrant (each whole warrant, an ‘AI Warrant‘). Each AI Warrant will entitle the holder to acquire an additional common share of the Company at a price of $0.30 for a period of twenty-four months following closing of the Offering, subject to accelerated expiry in the event the closing price of the Shares is $0.50 or higher for ten consecutive trading days.

Each LIFE Unit will consist of one Share and one-half-of-one share purchase warrant (each whole warrant, an ‘LIFE Warrant‘). Each LIFE Warrant will entitle the holder to acquire an additional common share of the Company at a price of $0.24 for a period of twenty-four months following closing of the Offering.

The Company expects to utilize the proceeds of the Offering for advancement of ongoing exploration and drill work at the La Union Gold and Silver Project, upcoming exploration work at the North Island Copper Property, and for general working capital purposes. The Company anticipates that UK-based institutional investor, Sorbie Bornholm LP, will participate in a portion of the Offering.

There is an offering document related to the Offering that will be made available under the Company’s profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca and on the Company’s website at: www.questcorpmining.ca. Prospective investors should read this offering document before making an investment decision.

In connection with completion of the Offering, the Company will pay finders’ fees to eligible third-parties who have introduced subscribers to the Offering. All securities issued in connection with the Accredited Investor Exemption will be subject to restrictions on resale for a period of four-months-and-one-day in accordance with applicable securities laws. All securities issued in connection with the Listed Issuer Financing Exemption will not be subject to a hold period. Completion of the Offering remains subject to receipt of regulatory approvals.

About Questcorp Mining Inc.

Questcorp Mining Inc. is engaged in the business of the acquisition and exploration of mineral properties in North America, with the objective of locating and developing economic precious and base metals properties of merit. The Company holds an option to acquire an undivided 100% interest in and to mineral claims totaling 1,168.09 hectares comprising the North Island Copper Property, on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, subject to a royalty obligation. The Company also holds an option to acquire an undivided 100% interest in and to mineral claims totaling 2,520.2 hectares comprising the La Union Project located in Sonora, Mexico, subject to a royalty obligation.

Contact Information

Questcorp Mining Corp.

Saf Dhillon, President & CEO

Email: saf@questcorpmining.ca
Telephone: (604) 484-3031

This news release includes certain ‘forward-looking statements’ under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the intended use of proceeds from the Offering. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to: the ability of Riverside to secure geophysical contractors to undertake orientation surveys and follow up detailed survey to confirm and enhance the drill targets as contemplated or at all, general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties, uncertain capital markets; and delay or failure to receive board or regulatory approvals. There can be no assurance that the geophysical surveys will be completed as contemplated or at all and that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/269182

News Provided by Newsfile via QuoteMedia

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Top 5 Canadian Mining Stocks This Week: Prospector Metals Gains 356 Percent

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The big news impacting markets this week is the shutdown of the US government.

While lawmakers were trying to find a funding solution, Democratic and Republican lawmakers were at loggerheads over maintaining funding for Medicaid programs. It marks the first time in seven years that the government has been shut down — the last time came during negotiations over the disputed US-Mexico border wall in December 2018.

President Donald Trump has resolved to use the closure to push through the firing of thousands of federal government employees and cut funding to projects promised by Democrats.

Additionally, the jobs report, scheduled for release on Friday (October 3), was delayed, causing greater uncertainty for analysts and investors who were trying to gauge the strength of the economy in September.

Despite the lack of official government data, payroll processor ADP reported a loss of 32,000 jobs in September. The decline represents a significant difference from the 45,000 jobs analysts had expected to be added.

Lawmakers aren’t scheduled to return to the negotiating tables until early next week.

For more on what’s moving markets this week, check out our top market news round-up.

Markets and commodities react

Canadian equity markets were in positive territory this week by the end of trading Friday.

The S&P/TSX Composite Index (INDEXTSI:OSPTX) continued its record breaking performance this week, gaining 2.33 percent on the week to close Friday at 30,471.68.

The S&P/TSX Venture Composite Index (INDEXTSI:JX) performed even better, ending the week up 4.38 percent to 964.04. The CSE Composite Index (CSE:CSECOMP) was up 3.3 percent on to close out the week at 180.03.

The gold price continued to climb this week, setting another new record, as it achieved an intraday high of US$3,893.82 per ounce on Thursday (October 2). It was still up 3.63 percent on the week at US$3,884.19 by Friday’s close.

The silver price saw more significant gains, rising 6.31 percent to set a year-to-date high of US$48.30 per ounce during trading on Friday before settling at US$47.95 per ounce by 4:00 p.m. EDT.

The silver price is trading at 14 year highs and has been closing in on records set in April of that year.

Copper had sizable gains this week as the fallout from the closure of Freeport’s Grasberg mine continued to ripple through the market. The copper price was up 7.13 percent this week to US$5.11 per pound.

The S&P Goldman Sachs Commodities Index (INDEXSP:SPGSCI) fell 2.12 percent to end Friday at 546.27.

Top Canadian mining stocks this week

How did mining stocks perform against this backdrop?

Take a look at this week’s five best-performing Canadian mining stocks below.

Stocks data for this article was retrieved at 4:00 p.m. EDT on Friday using TradingView’s stock screener. Only companies trading on the TSX, TSXV and CSE with market caps greater than C$10 million are included. Mineral companies within the non-energy minerals, energy minerals, process industry and producer manufacturing sectors were considered.

1. Prospector Metals (TSXV:PPP)

Weekly gain: 355.56 percent
Market cap: C$128.18 million
Share price: C$1.23

Prospector Metals is a gold explorer working to advance its flagship ML project in the Yukon, Canada.

The 10,869 hectare property, situated near Dawson City, is located within the Tintina Gold Belt, which is home to significant historic mining operations and current exploration and development projects.

Exploration at the site has led to the discovery of more than two dozen high-grade gold surface occurrences, including the Bueno target, which has delivered samples with grades of up to 156 grams per metric ton (g/t).

Shares of Prospector surged following the release of assay results on Wednesday (October 1). In its announcement, the company reported significant near-surface, high-grade assays, with one highlighted sample returning grades of 13.79 g/t gold over 44 meters, and another showing 21.93 g/t gold over 24.65 meters, including 288 g/t gold over 1 meter.

2. Sokoman Minerals (TSXV:SIC)

Weekly gain: 200 percent
Market cap: C$45.92 million
Share price: C$0.165

Sokoman Minerals bills itself as a discovery-oriented company with a portfolio of gold projects and one of the largest land positions in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. It also owns a 40 percent stake in the Killick lithium project, a 40/40/20 joint venture with Benton Resources (TSXV:BEX) and Piedmont Lithium (ASX:PLL).

Its primary focus is its flagship Moosehead gold project, located in Central Newfoundland. The project consists of 98 claims covering 2,450 hectares and hosts an orogenic Fosterville-style gold system, according to Sokoman. The company has defined seven zones with high-grade mineralization through over 130,000 meters of drilling.

Sokomon reported on September 12 that it planned to start diamond drilling at the site with a focus on testing the Eastern and Western Trend zones for depth extensions, as well as undiscovered parallel zones. Additionally, the company said on September 2 that it had expanded its land position at the Crippleback Lake gold-copper property to 13,000 hectares and planned to mobilize for induced-polarization surveys, sampling and mapping of the site.

The most recent news from the company came on Monday (September 29), when it announced that Denis Laviolette was appointed to the roles of director, executive chair and CEO. Laviolette joins the company with over two decades of experience in the mining industry, including roles in geology and production, and as an industry analyst.

The company also announced that Timothy Froude will be transitioning to the role of company president, having previously held both the president and CEO roles. Additionally, Gary Nassif, former senior vice president of Lode Gold Resources (TSXV:LOD,OTCQB:LODFF), was appointed as a director, and Greg Matheson, former COO of New Found Gold (TSXV:NFG,NYSEAMERICAN:NFGC), was named vice president of exploration.

3. Kesselrun Resources (TSXV:KES)

Weekly gain: 118.18 percent
Market cap: C$10.82 million
Share price: C$0.12

Kesselrun Resources is an explorer working to advance the Huronian gold project in Ontario, Canada.

The project is located in a region with significant exploration and mining assets, including Agnico Eagle Mines’ (TSX:AEM,NYSE:AEM) Hammond Reef project and New Gold’s (NYSE:NGD,TSX:NGD) Rainy River mine. Historic indicated resources at Huronian are 45,000 ounces of gold, with inferred quantities of 501,000 ounces or gold.

Shares of Kesselrun surged this week after Gold X2 Mining (TSXV:AUXX,OTCQB:GSHRF) announced on Wednesday that it had signed a definitive agreement to acquire Kesselrun. Gold X2 said the transaction will give it a 100 percent interest in the Huronian project, which is located adjacent to its own Moss gold project.

4. Royal Road Minerals (TSXV:RYR)

Weekly gain: 104.35 percent
Market cap: C$55.80 million
Share price: C$0.235

Royal Road is an exploration company working to advance its Güintar and Margaritas projects and the El Aleman mining concession in Colombia. The company acquired the adjacent Güintar and Margaritas properties, located near Medellin, from major miner AngloGold Ashanti (NYSE:AU,JSE:ANG) in 2019. Since that time, Royal Road has drilled a total of 13,700 meters across 45 drill holes at Güintar, while Margaritas remains untested.

Assays have produced a highlighted intersection of 1 g/t gold equivalent over 303.7 meters, which includes 2.1 g/t gold, 12.4 parts per million silver and 0.6 percent copper over 62 meters.

Shares of Royal Road gained this week alongside a pair of news releases. On Monday, the company announced that Rio2 (TSXV:RIO,OTCQX:RIOFF) has acquired approximately 15 percent of Royal Road’s issued and outstanding shares as part of a block trade; they were previously held by a single investor.

The other release came on Tuesday (September 30), when Royal Road reported that it has engaged with state and local authorities, as well as the local community, to restart work at Güintar and Margaritas.

5. StrikePoint Gold (TSXV:SKP)

Weekly gain: 103.85 percent
Market cap: C$12.06 million
Share price: C$0.265

StrikePoint Gold is an explorer with a focus on its Hercules gold project in Nevada, US.

The 100 square kilometer site, located within the Walker Lane Trend, hosts five drill-tested targets, with over 300 holes. The company acquired the property in August 2024 from Elevation Gold Mining for a total consideration of C$250,000, along with a 3 percent royalty on certain claims. On April 28, the company released results from its spring drilling program, with one highlighted assay returning values of 0.54 g/t gold and 4.62 g/t silver from 32.04 meters below surface; that includes an interval of 1.14 g/t gold and 10.53 g/t silver over 4.57 meters.

The most recent news from the project was announced on September 23, when StrikePoint said it had received drill permits for the Pony Meadows target. The company noted that it is permitted to mobilize up to three rigs, and will focus on a 2.6 kilometer structure that was revealed during surface exploration.

StrikePoint said it has two additional permits for the Sirens and Como Comet targets.

FAQs for Canadian mining stocks

What is the difference between the TSX and TSXV?

The TSX, or Toronto Stock Exchange, is used by senior companies with larger market caps, and the TSXV, or TSX Venture Exchange, is used by smaller-cap companies. Companies listed on the TSXV can graduate to the senior exchange.

How many mining companies are listed on the TSX and TSXV?

As of May 2025, there were 1,565 companies listed on the TSXV, 910 of which were mining companies. Comparatively, the TSX was home to 1,899 companies, with 181 of those being mining companies.

Together, the TSX and TSXV host around 40 percent of the world’s public mining companies.

How much does it cost to list on the TSXV?

There are a variety of different fees that companies must pay to list on the TSXV, and according to the exchange, they can vary based on the transaction’s nature and complexity. The listing fee alone will most likely cost between C$10,000 to C$70,000. Accounting and auditing fees could rack up between C$25,000 and C$100,000, while legal fees are expected to be over C$75,000 and an underwriters’ commission may hit up to 12 percent.

The exchange lists a handful of other fees and expenses companies can expect, including but not limited to security commission and transfer agency fees, investor relations costs and director and officer liability insurance.

These are all just for the initial listing, of course. There are ongoing expenses once companies are trading, such as sustaining fees and additional listing fees, plus the costs associated with filing regular reports.

How do you trade on the TSXV?

Investors can trade on the TSXV the way they would trade stocks on any exchange. This means they can use a stock broker or an individual investment account to buy and sell shares of TSXV-listed companies during the exchange’s trading hours.

Article by Dean Belder; FAQs by Lauren Kelly.

Securities Disclosure: I, Dean Belder, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

Securities Disclosure: I, Lauren Kelly, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

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Editor’s Picks: Gold Price Sets Sights on US$3,900, Silver Breaks US$48

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The gold price continued to move this week, approaching the US$3,900 per ounce level and setting a fresh all-time high on the back of a US government shutdown.

The closure came after Congress failed to reach an agreement on a spending bill ahead of the new American fiscal year, which began on Wednesday (October 1).

Democrats and Republicans are at odds as Democrats push for changes to the bill, including an extension to billions of dollars in Obamacare subsidies; meanwhile, President Donald Trump has threatened thousands of permanent layoffs, not just temporary furloughs.

This shutdown is the 15th since 1981, and according to Senate Majority Leader John Thune, it could continue on until next week as the two sides negotiate. The longest government shutdown happened between 2018 and 2019, during Trump’s first presidency, and lasted for 35 days.

Part of the reason market watchers see this shutdown as significant is that it will delay the release of the latest nonfarm payrolls report, which was set to come out on Friday (October 3).

Depending on how long the shutdown lasts, September consumer price index data, which is scheduled for publication on October 15, may also not be on time.

The US Federal Reserve is due to meet later this month, from October 28 to 29, and normally would use this and other data to help make its decision on interest rates. The central bank cut rates by 25 basis points at its September meeting, and CME Group’s (NASDAQ:CME) FedWatch tool currently shows strong expectations for another 25 basis point reduction at the next gathering.

Although gold took a breather after nearing US$3,900, it remains historically high, with many market watchers suggesting US$4,000 is in the cards in the near term.

In the longer term, some experts have even loftier expectations — for example, Adam Rozencwajg of Goehring & Rozenwajg sees a path to a five-figure gold price.

‘It’s not going to happen under normal circumstances — it’s not going to happen when everything’s going great. But by the end of this cycle, will we get there? I think we probably will,’ he said.

It’s also worth touching on silver, which pushed past the US$48 per ounce mark this week. Unlike gold, silver has not yet broken its all-time high during this bull run — it’s pushing up against uncharted territory, raising questions about how high it can go this time.

On that note, David Morgan of the Morgan Report shared several factors that would tell him the market is reaching a top. Here’s what he said:

‘You want to look at exchange-traded fund flows like the GDX, GDXJ, SIL and SILJ. At the same time, more important than almost anything is trading volume at the stock level. When mid-tier and smaller producers suddenly trade three, four or five times their normal daily volume, and prices are rising, that isn’t random. That’s retail money coming back into the market, and fund buying and probably institutions.

‘One more layer of confirmation is relative to performance. When the mining sector starts to outperform the S&P 500 (INDEXSP:.INX), which it has, and the Nasdaq (INDEXNASDAQ:.IXIC), which it has, it’s a telltale sign that the generalist money, not just the hard money crowd, is beginning to rotate in.’

Bullet briefing — CEO shakeup at Barrick, Newmont

Barrick Mining (TSX:ABX,NYSE:B) and Newmont (NYSE:NEM,ASX:NEM) both announced major executive changes this week, with the CEOs of both companies departing.

Barrick’s Mark Bristow unexpectedly stepped down from his position on Monday (September 29) after nearly seven years at the helm of the firn. His exit, which was effective immediately, comes after big changes at the firm, including a shift toward copper and an asset divestment program designed to hone the company’s focus on tier-one assets.

It also follows persistent issues in Mali, where Barrick lost control of its gold-mining complex and had 3 metric tons of the yellow metal seized by the government.

According to Reuters, Bristow’s handling of that ongoing situation was the final straw that prompted the company’s board to push for a change in leadership.

Newmont announced the retirement of Tom Palmer the same day. He had held the position since 2019, and will be succeeded by the company’s president and COO. Analysts note that Newmont had been signaling that a succession plan was in the works.

Similar to Barrick, the company has been in the midst of an extensive program geared at streamlining its portfolio. Newmont acquired Newcrest Mining in 2023, and in February 2024 announced a program to sell non-core assets. It completed the program in April of this year, but has continued to make portfolio adjustments, and to pursue other cost-saving measures.

Market watchers note that despite efforts to boost efficiency, Barrick and Newmont have both failed to match the performance of their peers during today’s bull market.

Year-on-year share price performance of major gold miners.

Chart via Google Finance.

With gold-mining companies conscious of not repeating missteps made during the precious metal’s last runup, investors will no doubt be keen to see how they perform under new management.

Securities Disclosure: I, Charlotte McLeod, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

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Charlie Javice sentenced to 7 years in prison for fraudulent $175M sale of aid startup

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Charlie Javice, the founder of a startup company that sought to dramatically improve how students apply for financial aid, was sentenced Monday to more than seven years in prison for cheating JPMorgan Chase out of $175 million by greatly exaggerating how many students it served.

Javice, 33, was sentenced in Manhattan federal court for her March conviction by Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein, who said she committed “a large fraud” by duping the bank giant in the summer of 2021. She made false records that made it seem the company, called Frank, had over 4 million customers when it had fewer than 300,000, Hellerstein found.

The judge said Javice had assembled a “very powerful list” of her charitable acts, which included organizing soup kitchens for the homeless when she was 7 years old and designing career programs for formerly incarcerated women.

In court papers, defense lawyers noted that Javice has faced extraordinary public scrutiny, reputational destruction and professional exile, “making her a household name” in the same way Elizabeth Holmes became synonymous with her blood-testing company, Theranos.

Defense attorney Ronald Sullivan told Hellerstein that his client was very different from Holmes because what she created actually worked, unlike Holmes, “who did not have a real company” and whose product “in fact endangered patients.”

In seeking a 12-year prison sentence for Javice, prosecutors cited a 2022 text Javice sent to a colleague in which she called it “ridiculous” that Holmes got over 11 years in prison.

Hellerstein largely dismissed arguments that he should be lenient because the acquisition pitted “a 28-year-old versus 300 investment bankers from the largest bank in the world,” as Sullivan put it.

Still, the judge criticized the bank, saying “they have a lot to blame themselves” after failing to do adequate due diligence. He quickly added, though, that he was “punishing her conduct and not JPMorgan’s stupidity.”

Sullivan said the bank rushed its negotiations because it feared another bank would acquire Frank first.

A prosecutor, Micah Fergenson, though, said JPMorgan “didn’t get a functioning business” in exchange for its investment. “They acquired a crime scene.”

Fergenson said Javice was driven by greed when she saw that she could pocket $29 million from the sale of her company.

“Ms. Javice had it dangling in front of her and she lied to get it,” he said.

Given a chance to speak, Javice said she was “haunted that my failure has transformed something meaningful into something infamous.” She said she “made a choice that I will spend my entire life regretting.”

Javice, sometimes speaking through tears, apologized and sought forgiveness from “all the people touched or tarnished by my actions,” including JPMorgan shareholders, Frank employees and investors, along with her family.

Javice, who lives in Florida, has been free on $2 million bail since her 2023 arrest.

At trial, Javice, a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business, was convicted of conspiracy, bank fraud and wire fraud charges. Her lawyers had argued that JPMorgan went after Javice because it had buyer’s remorse.

In her mid-20s, Javice founded Frank, a company with software that promised to simplify the arduous process of filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, a complex government form used by students to apply for aid for college or graduate school.

Frank’s backers included venture capitalist Michael Eisenberg. The company said its offering, akin to online tax preparation software, could help students maximize financial aid while making the application process less painful.

The company promoted itself as a way for financially needy students to obtain more aid faster, in return for a few hundred dollars in fees. Javice appeared regularly on cable news programs to boost Frank’s profile, once appearing on Forbes’ “30 Under 30” list before JPMorgan bought the startup in 2021.

Javice was among a number of young tech executives who vaulted to fame with supposedly disruptive or transformative companies, only to see them collapse amid questions about whether they had engaged in puffery and fraud while dealing with investors.

In their pre-sentence submission, prosecutors wrote that they were requesting a lengthy prison sentence to send a message that fraud in the sale of startup companies is “no less blameworthy than other types of fraud and will be punished accordingly.”

Prosecutors added that the message was “desperately needed” because of “an alarming trend of founders and executives of small startup companies engaging in fraud, including making misrepresentations about their companies’ core products or services, in order to make their companies attractive targets for investors and/or buyers.”

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YouTube to pay $24 million to settle Trump lawsuit

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YouTube said Monday it would settle a lawsuit brought by President Donald Trump for more than $24 million, adding to a growing list of settlements with tech and media companies that have amassed millions of dollars for Trump’s projects.

Trump sued after his YouTube account was banned in 2021. After the Jan. 6 riot, YouTube said content posted to Trump’s channel raised “concerns about the ongoing potential for violence.” His account was reinstated in 2023.

Monday’s settlement makes YouTube the last major tech platform to settle a lawsuit with Trump, who similarly sued Meta and Twitter for banning his accounts in the aftermath of Jan. 6. Meta, the owner of Facebook and Instagram, settled for $25 million, while Twitter, since renamed X, settled for about $10 million.

A notice of settlement for Trump’s lawsuit against YouTube details that $22 million of it will go toward building a new White House ballroom. Trump has touted that the addition will have room for 900 people, and the White House has said it could cost $200 million to build.

Other plaintiffs that joined Trump’s suit, such as the American Conservative Union and a number of other people, will get $2.5 million of the settlement.

In addition to tech companies, many major media outlets have settled lawsuits with Trump over the past year.

In July, Paramount Global settled with him for $16 million after he took issue with a “60 Minutes” interview with Kamala Harris that aired on CBS.

In December, Disney settled with Trump over a lawsuit in which he accused ABC and anchor George Stephanopoulos of defamation in an interview with Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C. Disney paid Trump’s future presidential library $15 million as part of the settlement.

Disney came under pressure from the administration again when it recently suspended “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” for nearly a week after two major station owners threatened to stop airing the show. One of the station owners, Nexstar, is seeking clearance from Trump’s Federal Communications Commission chairman for a $6.2 billion merger.

The other station owner, Sinclair, is reportedly considering a merger, which the FCC would also need to approve.

Trump is also suing The Wall Street Journal over its reporting about his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, and he recently sued The New York Times for $15 billion. A judge struck down that lawsuit, though Trump could refile it.

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