When former boss <-bsp-person state="{"_id":"0000018f-1830-d583-afbf-dafc3fc90001","_type":"00000160-6f41-dae1-adf0-6ff519590003"}">Mark Cutifani-bsp-person> left Anglo American Plc in mid-April 2022, things had rarely looked better for the century-old miner. Metals prices soared as the world emerged from lockdowns, the company had recently posted its best-ever <-bsp-bb-link state="{"bbDocId":"R7SVOUDWRGG0","_id":"0000018f-1830-d583-afbf-dafc3fc90005","_type":"0000016b-944a-dc2b-ab6b-d57ba1cc0000"}">annual profit-bsp-bb-link> and the popular industry veteran was handing over to a trusted lieutenant. Anglo stock hit a record the same day.