I think the real question is why CUU did not stake the Marko areas that they bought. Sure, much of these were picked up pretty cheap but most of the purchases from Marko included a 2% NSR. Most if not all of the Marko claims we bought were staked after our Aerial Mags - so we should have had the better idea on the potential of those areas. I dont' undestand why CUU would give a few $100k and NSR's compared to the costs of simply staking it themselves.

My only conclusion is that Marko works somewhat at arms length from CUU as an intermediate block from other Free Miners.

For example: A Free Miner (in this case Mr Marko) stakes near CUU resulting in other FM's A) losing the ability to claim that area, and B) becoming reluctant to stake near Mr Free Miner (a mere mortal ;) versus crowding CUU (a publicly traded company with $400m+ market cap, geologists, surveys, and a project and $millions in the bank) areas directly. I think that the FM's are more interested in crowding a majour versus another individual FM.

Continuing with that example... As the FM expands a protective rind around CuU's claims, CUU can periodically pick of the immediate contiguous claims without losing its protective shell of the FM's claims or really communicating its areas of interest.

The alternative is a pure free-for-all scramble for claims by many less accomodative interests upon any new CUU map or claim purchase. There are 3 or 5 Free Miners placed immediately about CUU's core claims - so there are other eyes on our lands and developments. I think this alternative would spiral out of control from CUU's perspective as I think a bidding war would ensue.

So with this in my simple little mind, I think that CUU would be limited in its ability to expand area by staking unless they staked the whole lot all at once themselves - like TCK did with Teckland. The problem with doing so, is that it is a cash drain to hold and maintain claims. Unless you are sure that you will have the bucks to keep the claims up for another year, say, after a buyout, you limit how much claim area you maintain. In short, CuU's amassing of large amounts of claim area is a very large sign that they have the end game in sight.

This is only my own opinion. No offence or aspercion to Mr Marko.