A father of five, S.Telmen, an engineer at the Oyu Tolgoi mine, earns a monthly salary of 10.9 million Mongolian tögrög. His family’s lifestyle, including dining out and extracurricular activities for the children, demonstrates the economic impact of the mine. Oyu Tolgoi’s 4,674 permanent employees earn an average of 12.9 million tögrög monthly, contributing 722.1 billion tögrög in economic circulation within Mongolia. Including salaries from 7,500+ supplier and contractor employees, the total economic ripple effect exceeds one trillion tögrög. Telmen has worked at the mine for 12 years, previously with a contracting company for three, and is responsible for power distribution 1500 meters underground. His story illustrates how employment and wages at Oyu Tolgoi drive economic growth throughout the country. The family’s spending habits are a microcosm of this larger economic phenomenon.