A man known online as "Qiao," a precious-metal refiner fr...
“A man known online as "Qiao," a precious-metal refiner from Huizhou in Guangdong province, China, surprised millions of people after sharing a video of his gold refining work. Posted on January 20, 2026, the video quickly went viral and received more than 5 million views. In the video, Qiao showed barrels filled with chemicals where he placed old telecom industry scrap, including chip waste and electronic parts. Through several steps involving chemical reactions, corrosion, metal displacement, filtering, and heating, he extracted tiny amounts of gold. At the end of the process, he produced 191 grams of pure gold worth nearly 200,000 yuan, or about $29,000. After the video spread online, many people believed the gold came only from old SIM cards. However, Qiao later explained to Xiaoxiang Morning Post that this was not true. The gold actually came from nearly two tonnes of telecom industry scrap, not from SIM cards alone. Cybernews also pointed out that one SIM card contains less than 0.001 grams of gold. This means it would take more than 1,000 SIM cards to collect just 1 gram of gold. The online claim that people could easily get rich from old SIM cards was therefore very misleading. Even so, the video started a buying craze. Some sellers began offering bundles of old SIM cards and even DIY gold-refining kits and tutorials for around 485 yuan, or about $70. Qiao warned people not to copy the process. He said it uses dangerous chemicals, including aqua regia, which can seriously harm people if handled incorrectly. He also explained that processing electronic waste without proper permission can lead to legal trouble in China”
Summary
The January 2026 video by Qiao, a precious‑metal refiner from Huizhou, went viral and showed him extracting 191 g of gold worth roughly 200,000 yuan from about two tonnes of telecom e‑waste, not solely from SIM cards. SIM cards contain less than 0.001 g of gold each, making large‑scale profit unrealistic, and Qiao warned that the process uses dangerous chemicals like aqua regia and can lead to legal trouble. Sellers subsequently marketed SIM‑card bundles and DIY kits despite the warnings.
Sources 60 searched
- Gold mining in China - Wikipedia
Gold mining in the People's Republic of China has propelled the country to become the world's largest gold producer since 2007. In 2022, China produced approximately 403 metric tons (403 t) of gold, maintaining its top global position. China overtook South Africa in 2007 to become the world’s ...
- Viral video of Chinese man extracting gold from SIM cards triggers sales boom | South China Morning Post
... In the clip, Qiao pours used SIM cards into barrels filled with chemicals, extracting gold mud through a series of reactions, including corrosion, displacement and heating. After filtering and heating, he ends up with 191g of gold, worth ...
- At US$1,455 per ounce, China’s e-waste gold recovery is world’s most efficient | South China Morning Post
New method can extract precious metals from old mobile phones, computers and home appliances in less than 20 minutes.
- Man extracts 191 grams of gold from SIM cards and electronic waste, video showing how he did it goes viral | - The Times of India
“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).
- Man extracts 191 grams of gold worth ₹26 lakh from discarded SIM cards and e-waste | Trending
Qiao said that he used nearly two tonnes of scrap to refine the gold, which did not solely come from SIM cards, but from a mix of chip waste in the telecommunications electronics industry.
- Gold in your old SIM cards? One man says he pulled over Rs 26 lakh worth of gold from e-waste - The Economic Times
After filtering and refining, he successfully recovered 191 grams of gold, valued at nearly 200,000 yuan (approximately Rs 26 lakh). Qiao revealed that he used almost two tonnes of scrap, which included SIM cards and other telecommunications ...
- Viral video exaggerates value of gold in sim cards
Findings by The FactCheckHub show that the claim is MISLEADING. While SIM card chips do contain real gold, the scale of extraction required to make a profit is far beyond the reach of the average person, and the process is highly dangerous.
- China Man Turns Old SIM Cards Into Gold, Warns Of Dangerous Process
In the video, Qiao placed old SIM cards into drums filled with chemicals. After undergoing several stages of corrosion, displacement, and heating, he extracted a gold-like sludge.
- Viral SIM card gold extraction in China sparks dangerous DIY trend | Cybernews
Qiao subsequently intervened and stated in a separate video that gold extraction often uses aqua regia, a highly corrosive acid mixture capable of emitting toxic gases and causing severe burns.
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