Chinese Man Extracts Gold from SIM Cards, Warns of Chemical Dangers
Personal Finance
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CNBC Awaaz•02-02-2026, 17:09
Chinese Man Extracts Gold from SIM Cards, Warns of Chemical Dangers
- •A man named Qiao from Huizhou, China, claims to have extracted 191 grams of gold from discarded SIM cards and other scrap metal.
- •His video showing the chemical process of gold extraction went viral, garnering nearly 5 million views.
- •The extracted gold, valued at approximately $29,000, was not solely from SIM cards but from about two tons of mixed scrap, including telecom chip waste.
- •Inspired by the viral video, people in mainland China began buying old SIM cards on resale platforms, leading to sellers profiting from bundles and gold refining tools.
- •Qiao strongly warned against attempting this dangerous process at home due to the use of toxic chemicals like aqua regia, which can release harmful gases.
Why It Matters: A Chinese man extracted gold from scrap, but warns against dangerous at-home attempts due to toxic chemicals.
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