William Braden

William Braden Burford (March 24, 1871 – 1942) was an American engineer and businessman known for his mining enterprises in Chile, earning him the nickname "The Copper King" (Spanish: El Rey del Cobre) in that country.

Between 1893 and 1898, he was an agent for the Omaha and Grant Foundry and Refining Company, which sent him to Chile in 1894. There, he met Italian engineer Marco Chiapponi, who urged him to seek partners for the industrial extraction of the El Teniente mine. Thus, in partnership with his compatriot Barton Sewell, he established the copper company Braden Copper Company in 1904. In 1909, Braden sold on the copper company to the Guggenheim brothers, Simon and Daniel, remaining as the company's director. In 1918, he left Chile.