Chris Cline

Chris Cline
Chris Cline
Born	5 July 1958 (age 68); Beckley, West Virginia, U.S.
Died	4 July 2019 (aged 60); Near Grand Cay, Bahamas
Occupation(s)	Coal magnate, philanthropist
Known for	Principal owner of Foresight Reserves LP; revitalizing Illinois coal sector

Adapted from the English Wikipedia article Chris Cline, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 11 August 20255 sources

Chris Cline (July 5, 1958 – July 4, 2019) was an influential American coal magnate and benefactor, serving as the principal owner of Foresight Reserves LP, which is based in St. Louis, Missouri.^[1] Bloomberg referred to him as the "New King Coal",^[2] recognizing his significant impact on revitalizing the Illinois coal sector. His enterprise held control over more than three billion tons of coal reserves located in Illinois and the northern Appalachian Mountains.^[3]

Early life

Cline was born on July 5, 1958, in Beckley, West Virginia, to parents Paul and Lassie Justice Cline.^[4] His grandfather had worked as a manual coal miner near Beckley during the early 1900s. At just six years old, Cline earned small amounts by filling sacks with dirt beneath his porch in Isaban, West Virginia, material his father utilized for blasting in mining operations. This activity eventually caused the porch to collapse within two years.^[5] In 1980, following his father’s buyout of a business partner, ownership shares in the family mining company were transferred to 21-year-old Cline.

Education

Cline pursued psychology studies at Marshall University located in Huntington, West Virginia.

Coal mining business

Beginning his career in 1980 at age 22 as an underground miner, Cline founded the Cline Group in 1990. Later, in 2006, he created Foresight Energy to oversee his coal assets within the Illinois Basin. Foresight Energy became publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange in 2014. The following year, Cline divested most of his holdings for $1.4 billion.

Illinois boasts the largest accessible coal reserves in the United States, estimated to last approximately 250 years. In 2017 alone, nearly $1.4 billion worth of coal was consumed statewide, mined across a dozen counties. Nonetheless, Illinois coal’s elevated sulfur content restricts its application due to environmental regulations. Anticipating EPA mandates for scrubber technology that would renew coal’s competitiveness for power generation, Cline invested $300 million throughout the 1990s into Illinois mining rights and equipment.

The Cline Group initiated the Williamson longwall mining project near West Frankfort, Illinois, in 2005. By 2008, SNL Financial reported that Hillsboro Energy LLC’s Deer Run mine in Montgomery County was expected to yield up to eight million tons annually through 2016. Cline targeted an annual output of 60 million tons from his operations within Illinois.

Certain environmental advocates and local landowners opposed aspects of Cline’s mining ventures and drew attention to his financial contributions to regional political campaigns.

Following the sale of his Foresight shares, Cline expanded by acquiring a metallurgical coal mine in Nova Scotia along with coal reserve rights in Western Canada.

Cline defended coal’s role as an affordable energy source; in 2010 he remarked, "Regarding coal's social acceptability, I like to believe I contribute to providing America’s most economical energy."

Philanthropy

In 2011, the Cline Family Foundation contributed $5 million to West Virginia University’s School of Medicine and Department of Intercollegiate Athletics. This donation established the Christopher Cline Chair in Orthopaedic Surgery and supported construction of a new basketball practice facility. That same year, Marshall University received $5 million from the foundation aimed at advancing research in sports medicine.

Personal life

Cline's first spouse, Sabrina J. Holley Cline, succumbed to breast cancer in 1987; the couple had one daughter named Candice. In 1993, he wed Kelly, and together they had three children: two sons, Christopher Logan and Alex Tanner, and a daughter, Kameron Cline. Their marriage ended in divorce in 2000.

Candice went on to become a foundation director and married James Graham Kenan in 2011. Cline possessed a 33,413-square-foot residence located in North Palm Beach, Florida, as well as a 150-acre estate in Beckley, West Virginia. He was a founding member of Brenton Southern Baptist Church and maintained a relationship with Elin Nordegren, the former wife of professional golfer Tiger Woods.

Mine Games

Cline owned two large yachts both named "Mine Games." The initial yacht was a 164-foot vessel constructed by Trinity Yachts and delivered in 2008; it was sold five years later in 2013. Subsequently, he acquired a larger luxury yacht measuring 205 feet, also called "Mine Games," which was designed and built by the Italian shipbuilder Benetti in 2010. This vessel included five staterooms and was equipped with a submarine. Cline sold this yacht during the fall of 2018.

Political donations

In 2015, Jasper Reserves, LLC, an entity controlled by Cline, contributed $1 million to Super PACs supporting Jeb Bush’s campaign for the 2016 presidential election.

Threats against family

In 2012, Vivek Shah was apprehended for attempting to extort $13 million from Cline and others while threatening violence against Cline’s relatives. Shah faced seven felony charges and received a seven-year prison sentence in 2013.

Death

On July 4, 2019, Cline perished in a helicopter accident near Grand Cay, Bahamas, at the age of 60. The tragedy also claimed the lives of his 22-year-old daughter Kameron and three of her companions, who were returning from medical treatment in the Bahamas to the United States. Both the pilot and co-pilot were also killed.

A National Transportation Safety Board report released in 2021 determined that pilot error was responsible for the crash; the pilots departed under dark conditions over water, likely influenced by pressure from Cline himself, which resulted in spatial disorientation and loss of control.

Legacy

In recognition of his contributions, the Chris Cline Athletic Complex, an indoor football training facility at Marshall University, was dedicated to him in 2014.