Marathon Fusion claims mercury-to-gold transmutation

San Francisco-based startup Marathon Fusion has announced that it successfully converted mercury into stable gold using neutrons generated from nuclear fusion reactions. The company claims this achievement surpasses the previous production rate record held by CERN by a factor of ten.

Founded in 2023 by Kyle Schiller and former SpaceX engineer Adam Rutkowski, the startup focuses on developing fuel systems for future fusion power plants. The proposed method involves using fusion neutrons to interact with mercury-198, creating radioactive mercury-197, which subsequently decays into stable gold-197.

While the company shared gamma-ray spectra to support its claims, the results have not yet been independently verified. Critical details regarding the total yield, purity, and production costs remain undisclosed. Theoretical models from the company suggest that a future gigawatt-scale fusion plant could potentially produce approximately two tonnes of gold annually as a byproduct of energy production.

Industry observers have noted that while the technology is scientifically grounded, the commercial viability depends on whether the process can be scaled profitably and if the resulting gold can be safely handled once any residual radioactivity decays.