He extracted a gold bar from SIM cards—but the result was not what people expected

Thekabarnews.com—A viral video from China recently caught people’s attention by showing a man retrieving a shiny gold bar out of what appeared to be regular technological rubbish. The maker, Qiao, demonstrated how he extracted over 192 grams of pure gold from discarded outdated SIM cards and computer chips. For many people, it was like finding hidden treasure inside shattered phones.

That much gold is worth more than $28,000 at today’s market pricing. The clip instantly went viral on social media. Many made remarks about “easy money” and joked about taking apart old iPhones at home. But the truth behind the amazing result is much less glamorous.

Later, Qiao said that he had to process roughly two tons of electrical garbage to get the gold bar. That included stacks of old bank cards, circuit boards, and cell phones. These had been gathering dust for years. It took weeks of work and sophisticated tools and chemicals to get microscopic bits of gold out of plastic and metal.

Sun Yafei, an expert on materials, said that electronics makers only utilize gold in very thin layers. The metal is not just for looks or luxury. It also helps keep things from rusting and makes sure electrical connections are always correct. Simply put, a SIM card contains less gold than a single grain of sand.

Qiao said that after adding up the costs of chemicals, tools, and labor, his real profit was just approximately 10 grams of gold. The extraction process used up much of the value.

The story reminds us that electronic waste does include valuable metals. However, it is neither simple nor safe for regular people to get them back. Experts say that trying things out on your own can put people at risk of harmful drugs and environmental problems.

Experts say that instead of trying to become a homemade alchemist, you should recycle properly at approved facilities. The viral gold bar may seem like magic, but its path reveals that the actual value is not in getting rich quickly. Rather, the actual value is in recycling responsibly and having realistic expectations.