Macro Butler on the Sudden, Potentially Profitable Helium Shortage

We all know that gold, silver, copper and a few other high-profile materials are crucial to the global economy. But there are others of nearly equal importance, some of which are in seriously short supply.

A case in point is helium, an industrial gas that’s irreplaceable in sectors ranging from MRI scanners to superconducting magnets. The latest Middle East war has caused a global shortage, with all the investment opportunities that that implies.

Macro Butler’s Laurent Lequeu just posted a great primer on helium and its place in a well-run portfolio. Here’s an excerpt:

From Gas to Glory: The Quiet Force of Helium Scarcity

Invisible, indispensable, and surprisingly powerful, helium commands attention when it tightens its grip.

The Macro Butler

Mar 31, 2026

Helium moves in the world as the virtuous man moves through society — without noise, yet indispensable in its presence. Light and unreactive, it neither contends nor imposes, yet sustains the harmony of vital endeavours, from the crafting of semiconductors to the reaching of the heavens. Unlike oil, gold, or copper, it does not proclaim its worth; it fulfils its role with quiet constancy — within healing instruments, precise manufactories, and vessels that ascend beyond the earth. Yet in an age of disorder among nations, even what is most silent begins to signal imbalance. The wise, attentive to subtle things, will recognize in this quiet presence not only utility, but a gentle warning.

Helium, the second element of the ordered universe, behaves much like the wise sage who, having achieved inner completeness, finds no need to entangle himself in unnecessary relationships. It is colourless, odourless, tasteless, and harmless — possessing all qualities of humility, yet none of insignificance. With a full outer shell, it neither seeks nor accepts bonds under ordinary circumstances, preferring the quiet dignity of independence. While other elements busily react, combine, and occasionally cause trouble, helium remains serene and unmoved, a true gentleman among atoms. In its solitary, monoatomic nature, it teaches that there is strength in restraint — and, amusingly, that sometimes the most useful member of society is the one who simply refuses to react at all.

https://periodic-table.rsc.org/element/2/helium

Yet the true nature of helium is revealed not in what it is, but in how it behaves. Like a sage who embraces extremes without losing balance, helium is defined by its remarkable qualities: it approaches the stillness of absolute zero with a boiling point of −268.9°C, carries almost no weight as it rises lighter than air, conducts heat with quiet efficiency, and remains entirely unmoved by the urge to react. In the deepest cold, where most substances surrender to rigidity, helium alone continues to flow, refusing even to solidify under ordinary pressure — a lesson in resilience without resistance. Thus, it becomes the perfect steward of superconductivity, sustaining the delicate harmony required in advanced science and healing technologies. In this union of coldness, lightness, and restraint, helium teaches that true indispensability often lies in mastering extremes while remaining effortlessly at peace.

Helium reveals itself to humanity much like a wise teacher — first from afar, before ever standing among us. In 1868, during an eclipse, Pierre Janssen observed a mysterious yellow line in the Sun’s spectrum, a sign at first mistaken for something familiar. Yet, as often happens in the study of both nature and virtue, what appears known may conceal the unknown. That same year, Joseph Norman Lockyer, with careful attention, recognized that this line did not belong to sodium, and with the counsel of Edward Frankland, named this unseen element after hēlios, the Sun — acknowledging that Heaven sometimes reveals truths before Earth is ready to receive them. It was only later, in 1895, that William Ramsay, through patient inquiry, found helium within the mineral cleveite, confirming that what was once celestial also resides quietly beneath our feet. In time, together with Frederick Soddy, he came to understand that helium is born from the slow transformation of radioactive elements — a reminder that even in decay, there is creation. Thus, helium teaches that knowledge often descends in stages: first glimpsed in the heavens, then proven on Earth, and finally understood through the passage of time and disciplined observation.

https://www.astronomy.com/today-in-the-history-of-astronomy/aug-18-1868-helium-is-discovered/

Helium exists in two practical forms — gas and liquid — and the difference between them is less a matter of state and more a matter of purpose. In its gaseous form, helium is the easy-going version: used for pressurization, leak detection, welding, and all the applications where its lightness and inertness quietly get the job done. But when cooled to extremely low temperatures, helium transforms into a liquid and reveals its true importance, becoming one of the coldest substances available and the essential coolant for superconducting magnets in MRI machines, particle physics, and advanced research. Liquid helium is far more demanding — it requires complex infrastructure, careful handling, and constant vigilance because it naturally wants to evaporate and escape. In that sense, gaseous helium is the practical worker, while liquid helium is the high-maintenance genius: far more difficult to manage, but absolutely indispensable where precision and extreme conditions are required.

https://ehs.lbl.gov/service/chemical-lab-safety/liquid-helium/

Helium is not the kind of gas you can whip up in a factory after a strong coffee — it prefers a far more leisurely schedule. It is forged deep within the Earth over millions of years, as uranium and thorium quietly fall apart and release alpha particles that eventually settle down and become helium atoms. These atoms then gather, almost by accident, in underground reservoirs, often hanging out with natural gas like uninvited but well-behaved guests. The problem is, helium has no sense of commitment: being extremely light, it escapes through porous rock at the first opportunity, and only the most well-structured geological traps can keep it from drifting off. Even then, it insists on being present in just the right proportions — usually above about 0.3% — before anyone considers it worth extracting. In short, helium is not just rare; it is picky, elusive, and operates entirely on its own timeline.

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Read the rest of Laurent’s article here.