If we did start to use the thorium nuclear cycle in reactors one group of beneficiaries would be those who use tantalum, niobium, rare earths and so on.

FORBES: An Odd Thought: Thorium Reactors Would Make Tantalum And Rare Earths Cheaper

And the Russians said, well all right, if the Iranians want to possess the whole, what's called the nuclear fuel cycle, that is, to have a guaranteed stream of nuclear fuel for power plants, which involves enriching uranium, we'll do it in conjunction with Iran, but in Russia.

NPR: Iran's Response to International Pressure over Nukes

Daniel Roderick, senior vice president of GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy, a joint venture between General Electric and Japan's Hitachi, told Bloomberg the company is looking to secure contracts to deliver reactor technology, nuclear services, and nuclear fuel cycle services to Saudi Arabia.

FORBES: Magazine Article

Governments that themselves benefit from nuclear energy and the fuel cycle.

NPR: Transcript of Ahmadinejad's U.N. Speech

Before his writings on the carbon cycle, Mr Bethe produced several papers that endeavoured to pull together the whole theory of nuclear physics.

ECONOMIST: Hans Bethe, nuclear physicist, died on March 6th, aged 98