A prominent Greenlandic figure and former top civil servant has entered into a partnership with American businessman Drew Horn, a former Trump administration adviser who recently appeared on Fox News criticizing Greenland’s leadership. Horn claims to have investors ready to pour $10 billion into Greenland, raising questions about transparency and influence as tensions between the U.S. and Denmark remain high.
Former Elite Soldier Now Pursuing Greenland Investments
The relationship between Denmark and the United States reached a boiling point in mid-January. Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen made what would become historic remarks during a press conference, declaring that if forced to choose between the U.S. and Denmark, Greenland would stand with Denmark, NATO, and the EU.
Donald Trump responded bluntly when asked about Nielsen’s comments in front of Air Force One. He dismissed the Greenlandic leader, saying he didn’t know who Nielsen was and that the situation would become a significant problem.
The following day, a Danish delegation led by Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen and Greenlandic Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt met with Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio in an attempt to calm diplomatic tensions.
Fox News Appearance Attacks Greenlandic Leadership
On Fox News, the meeting became a top story. The conservative television network showed Nielsen’s quote followed by Trump’s response before bringing on a guest. Drew Horn appeared in a dark striped suit and red and white tie. His hair was neatly combed to the side.
Horn is a former elite soldier and ex-adviser to the Trump administration. Today, he serves as CEO and co-owner of GreenMet, a company that advises and helps finance projects involving critical mineral extraction.
During the Fox News segment, Horn called Nielsen’s statements ridiculous. He claimed the Greenlandic leader did not have the backing of his own people when making such comments.
Horn’s appearance on Fox News that morning was likely no coincidence. The American businessman has shown considerable interest in Greenland, visiting multiple times to meet with business contacts and officials. His company, GreenMet, has stated that it has investors prepared to invest $10 billion, approximately 63 billion kroner, in Greenland.
Partnership With Prominent Greenlandic Figure Revealed
Horn landed in Greenland again yesterday. In connection with his arrival, sources confirmed that his company has entered into a partnership with a well-known Greenlandic figure. GreenMet stated in an email that former top civil servant Svend Hardenberg is the company’s leading Greenlandic partner.
According to information obtained, Hardenberg and Horn were on the same flight from Copenhagen to Nuuk yesterday.
Hardenberg Declines Political Comment
When asked to comment on the partnership, Hardenberg wrote in an email that he generally does not engage with political matters and refrains from commenting on the current political situation. He stated that the government handles those issues, while he focuses on creating growth and opportunities for Greenland as a businessman.
Regarding his collaboration with GreenMet, Hardenberg explained that he asked the company to find a suitable project partner for a specific part of a project. He described GreenMet as a matchmaker in English terms. The project remains in process and will include a balance of international project partners from the Nordic countries, Europe, and the United States. According to Hardenberg, the project is about growth and opportunities for Greenland for many years.
From Top Civil Servant to Borgen Actor
To understand Hardenberg’s influential role in Greenland, one must look back 13 years. After many years in Greenlandic business, he became the highest-ranking civil servant in Greenland in 2013, serving as head of Naalakkersuisut’s department for two years.
Many Danes also know him for another reason. In 2022, he played the role of Minister of Natural Resources Hans Eliassen in the television series Borgen. Hardenberg told Greenlandic media outlet Sermitsiaq that he never dreamed of becoming an actor but believed in seizing the opportunities life presents.
However, Hardenberg did not leave the natural resources sector after his television appearance. In March 2024, he was hired as an adviser by Australian mining company Energy Transition Minerals. The Australian firm seeks to extract thousands of tons of critical minerals from the Kvanefjeld mountain in southern Greenland.
Controversial Mining Project Connection
In 2023, those plans were thwarted when Greenland’s government rejected the company’s application after uranium was discovered. Energy Transition Minerals did not accept the rejection and has sued the Danish and Greenlandic governments with a compensation claim of up to 76 billion kroner.
Hardenberg was brought in to help open important doors in Greenland. In October 2024, he joined the board of the Australians’ Greenlandic company. Former Danish Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod and former top diplomat Friis Arne Petersen also advise the mining company today.
There are no indications that Horn’s company, GreenMet, is involved in the Kvanefjeld project. Instead, GreenMet announced in April last year that it had entered into a strategic partnership with another Greenlandic mining project called Tanbreez.
Questions About Transparency and Influence
Other stories about Horn have drawn attention. In May last year, he announced that he has investors behind the scenes capable of investing $10 billion in Greenland. In the same interview with Greenlandic broadcaster KNR, he addressed his past in the Trump administration, a position he left in 2021 when Joe Biden entered the White House.
Horn acknowledged that skeptics might view him as a Trojan horse attempting to influence the population through soft power based on his background. He expressed hope for the opportunity to prove the opposite, stating that his interest lies in bringing economic growth.
Horn has never revealed exactly who is prepared to invest the astronomical sum. In Greenland, his role raises questions among several observers. In October last year, a lengthy article in Danish newspaper Politiken highlighted the concerns.
Rejected Meeting Requests
During a visit in February last year, Horn visited the office of Bent Olsvig Jensen, director of Lumina Sustainable Materials, in Nuuk. Olsvig’s company mines the mineral anorthosite at the Qaqortorsuaq mine near Kangerlussuaq. Horn made an offer that Olsvig ultimately declined. His problem was that he did not know who would ultimately provide the funding.
Olsvig told Politiken that he had no problem negotiating with anyone but did not find Horn’s approach entirely transparent.
During the same Greenland trip, Horn also attempted to secure a meeting with Greenlandic Minister of Natural Resources Naaja H. Nathanielsen. She declined and told Sermitsiaq that his linking of possible investments with the desire to promote Greenlandic independence was somewhat pompous. She stated that the work toward independence was something Greenland would handle on its own.
Horn has not commented on the experiences of Nathanielsen and Olsvig. The Ministry of Natural Resources stated that the minister is not aware of Horn’s travel plans and has no meetings with him scheduled.
False Claim About Diplomatic Meeting
Despite the rejection from the Greenlandic minister, Horn has not given up on arranging meetings. In an interview with American media outlet CNBC, Horn stated that he met with Danish Ambassador Jesper Møller Sørensen in Washington on January 21. The problem was that it was not true. After questions were raised, Horn admitted that the statement was inaccurate.
He did not meet with the ambassador but only with other Greenlandic and Danish officials, he now says. The Danish Embassy in Washington confirmed that a meeting with Horn took place at the embassy but could not recognize his characterization of it. The ministry declined to provide further comments about the timing or agenda of the meeting.
CNBC has since corrected its article about Horn so that it no longer states he met with the ambassador.
Sources and References
The Danish Dream: Why Was Greenland Granted Autonomy from Denmark?
The Danish Dream: Trump Returns to Davos Eyes on Greenland
