According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, Leopold’s gain of wealth began with the natural resource of ivory. “Initially he was most interested in ivory,.. For some years ivory was a principal source of the great wealth that Leopold and his associates drew from the new colony,” (Encyclopedia Britannica). Ivory was used to make items such as jewelry and statues. In 1890, there was another popular natural resource called rubber. “A worldwide rubber boom was underway, kicked off by the invention of the inflatable bicycle tire and spurred on by the rise of the automobile…,” (Encyclopedia Britannica). Rubber was also used for industrial belts, and telephone