Man extracts ₹26 lakh worth gold from old SIMs, leaves internet stunned; watch video

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): We often throw away old or damaged SIM cards in the dustbin, thinking them useless. But a man from China has surprised the whole world by extracting a priceless treasure from this junk. A man from China's Guangdong province has achieved the feat of making real gold from old SIM cards and electronic waste (e-waste) by processing them. As soon as the video of this unique experiment went viral on social media, the discussion and demand for old SIM cards on the internet has suddenly increased.

191 grams of gold extracted through chemical process, worth more than Rs 26 lakh

The Chinese national has been identified as Qiao, a resident of Huizhou city. On January 20, 2026, Qiao shared a video on social media in which he was seen processing thousands of old SIM cards and damaged chips in a drum filled with chemicals. Qiao said that he had collected approximately 2 tons of e-waste. After several complex chemical processes, washing, and burning, he managed to extract 191.73 grams of pure gold from it. According to market rates, the value of this gold is estimated to be approximately 200,000 yuan, or approximately 26.59 lakh Indian rupees.

Why is there gold in the SIM and what is the danger?

Qiao explained that a very thin layer of gold is coated on certain parts of SIM cards and computer chips to protect them from corrosion and improve data transmission. According to media reports, a single SIM card can contain up to 0.001 grams of gold. However, Qiao also issued a stern warning to the public along with the video. He said that this process is extremely complex and involves the use of dangerous chemicals, which can prove fatal to ordinary people. It should only be performed by professionals in a controlled environment. Furthermore, in many places, privately extracting metal from e-waste is illegal, so people should not be tempted to try to replicate it at home.