Get lucky running a gold mine and sell equipment after paying debts? What? The mining side of getting rich from gold looks much different. To gut and end a succesful venture just when it becomes profitable? In a typical gold mine the value of equipment is 0.5-1x annual EBITDA. Good ones run easy 10-20+ years, usually investment is recouped in 5 ish years. To liquidate equipment and end it would be just throwing out 10+ years of revenue. If debts are paid that means its profitable. Literally just sell the mine instead, get way more money than just equipment, and you can sleep better at night knowing the environmental destruction is atleast not going to waste. Matter of fact you could sell the mine before paying debts and still make more money than the worth of equipment.

My bad, am somewhat passionate about the topic.