Man extracts 191 grams of gold from SIM cards and electronic waste, video showing how he did it goes viral

A video from southeastern China has gone viral on social media. It shows a man taking gold out of old SIM cards and other electronic waste. The video has been viewed millions of times and has caught a lot of attention online.

The man is known as Qiao online. After his video went viral on social media, many people became curious about used SIM cards. Some also started buying them. At the same time, the video has made people talk about how risky this kind of work can be.

As reported by the South China Morning Post, Qiao is from Huizhou in Guangdong province. He works with precious metal scrap professionally. In the video, he shows how gold can be taken out from electronic waste used in the telecom industry.

He pours used SIM cards and chip waste into large containers filled with chemicals. Through steps like corrosion, displacement and heating, he separates gold mud. After filtering and heating it, he finally gets solid gold.

According to the report, Qiao extracts 191 grams of gold in total. This amount is worth nearly 200,000 yuan, or around US$29,000.

Qiao later told the Xiaoxiang Morning Post that the gold did not come only from SIM cards. It came from a mix of electronic chip waste. “To ensure stability and corrosion resistance, key parts of the SIM cards are gold-plated,” Qiao said.

As reported by the South China Morning Post, after the video became popular, online activity increased. One seller started selling bundles of old SIM cards and claimed they could be used for “alchemy.”

Another online store sold gold-refining tools along with video lessons for 485 yuan (US$70). Nearly 2,000 copies were sold.

According to the report, people online shared their reactions. One user wrote, “When I ran an internet cafe, I threw away lots of computer chip waste. Now I regret missing out on all that gold.” Another said, “Qiao is professional. Alchemy has a high chemical threshold.”

Qiao also warned people not to try this on their own. “I am legally refining specific electronic waste with certification, and my goal is to share my skill,” he said.

An industry insider told mainland media outlet Xinwenfang, as quoted by the South China Morning Post, that people usually use aqua regia to extract gold, a highly dangerous chemical mixture. “This process is highly sensitive to temperature, time and pH control. A small mistake can release toxic gases or trigger strong corrosive reactions,” they said.

In China, refining and selling precious metals is strictly controlled. Scrap refining needs certification, and used SIM cards are treated as hazardous waste.


Thumb image: Canva (for representative purposes only)