Rare Earth Metals and the Next High-Earning Big Tech Bottleneck

Back in 1848, in Northern California, a worker helping to construct Sutter’s Mill made the discovery of a lifetime: There was gold in them there hills.

The news excited folks all around the country – and beyond – sparking a rapid mass migration to the American west, one of the largest in our nation’s history. It’s estimated that around 300,000 people moved to California between 1848 and ‘55: the era that has since become known as the California Gold Rush.

Everyone who made the journey hoped to strike it rich with gold. Though in reality, very few miners found success – just about 1 in 100. Most either barely broke even or lost money on the whole endeavor.

But some folks took a different approach; one that would prove to be much more lucrative.

The people who became the wealthiest of the Gold Rush era were storekeepers, hoteliers, and suppliers of tools, clothing, food, and alcohol.

Take Levi Strauss – a name that’s surely familiar. He ‘struck it rich’ selling durable denim pants to miners: a venture so successful, it still exists today.

This idea of being the one who sells ‘the picks and shovels’ became a business proverb of sorts. And it certainly still applies today.

Rare Earth Metals: The ‘Picks and Shovels’ of the Robotics Revolution

In every revolution, the real winners are often the foundational suppliers.

• In the PC boom, microprocessor supplier Intel (INTC) and software supplier Microsoft (MSFT) surged immensely. Between 1986 and ‘99, MSFT stock saw ~97,000% returns…
• In the EV boom, lithium miners and battery makers crushed it. Battery maker Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., listed in China, became the world’s largest EV battery manufacturer, with its market cap rising more than 2,500% from 2018 to 2021.
• In the AI software boom, chip supplier Nvidia (NVDA) hit unprecedented highs, recently becoming the first publicly traded company to reach a market capitalization of $4 trillion.

Now comes the ‘next frontier’: a robotics revolution. 

And the real picks and shovels there? Not just chips, silicon, or actuators – but rare earth metals and the magnets that need them.

Why Every Robot Needs Rare Earth Magnets – And Why That’s a Big Deal for Investors

The AI Boom is no longer just about data centers and chatbots. This tech is going physical.

That means the rise of real-world, embodied intelligence – robotics. 

And it’ll encompass more than warehouse arms or autonomous vacuums. We’re talking about humanoid robots: machines that can walk, grasp, lift – think – potentially replacing human labor across factories, retail, elder care, logistics, and beyond over time.

It’s likely the next trillion-dollar transformation.

And as with every industrial revolution before it, this one will be built on a foundation of critical materials.

For example, humanoid robots like Tesla’s (TSLA) Optimus are powered by a complex network of small, powerful electric motors in their shoulders, elbows, wrists, fingers, hips, knees, ankles, and toes. Each needs to be lightweight, high-torque, and ultra-efficient.

And the key ingredient inside all of them? Rare earth metals – specifically, neodymium-iron-boron (NdFeB) magnets.

These magnets deliver exceptional strength in a compact form. That’s critical for a battery-powered robot that needs to be agile and run for hours. 

Nearly every actuator in Optimus (and its competitors) requires one. That means each humanoid robot could contain 2 to 4 kilograms of rare earth magnets – sometimes more than an EV.

And to make them, you need rare earth elements like neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium, and terbium.

So, when it comes to the robotics boom:

• More robots → more motors
• More motors → more rare earth magnets
• More magnets → massive new demand for rare earth materials

This is physical AI’s supply chain, and it starts in the dirt.