Nvidia Chip Thieves in California Accidentally Steal 20 Tons of Sand Instead
Thieves in California targeting Nvidia AI hardware accidentally stole trailers loaded with 20 tons of sand instead of chips, ending up empty-handed after targeting autonomous trucking firm PlusAI.
A wave of high-end technology equipment thefts in the United States hit a particularly embarrassing low for a gang of thieves in California. The robbers, apparently hoping to get their hands on advanced AI chips from tech giant Nvidia, broke into trailers belonging to autonomous trucking company PlusAI—only to find themselves walking away empty-handed, or rather, full of sand.
The incident took place in the city of Newark, California, after thieves attached tractor units to two trailers bearing the Nvidia and PlusAI logos and drove off from the scene. However, much to the burglars' misfortune, the trailers did not contain expensive hardware, but rather about 20 tons of sand (approximately 40,000 pounds), which the company uses as dummy weight for load testing and simulations. After breaking the locks and realizing the scale of their mistake, the robbers abandoned the trailers a short distance from the company's compound.
A PlusAI spokesperson confirmed that the trailers were located and fully recovered with the sand inside left untouched, and the Fremont Police Department has launched an investigation into the incident. While the high-tech industry has suffered a sharp rise in thefts of server and data center equipment worth millions of dollars in recent months, this time the thieves planned to cash in on silicon, but ended the day with nothing more than silica.
Meanwhile, while Nvidia's logo continues to attract thieves overseas, the company is further deepening its roots in Israel. It was recently revealed that the tech giant is significantly expanding its research operations in the country with the establishment of a new development arm. The move was promoted by the company's global Chief Technology Officer, Michael Kagan, one of the founders of Mellanox and the most senior Israeli in the organization, reporting directly to CEO Jensen Huang.
