One of the benefits of hindsight is that you get to see which short-term investments work out, and which ones don't.

Back in 2011, a man in China named Xiao Wang allegedly wanted to get his hands on the latest toy sweeping the globe, the iPhone 4.

Although he did not have enough money, he did have something he was sure others wanted -- a healthy working kidney.

Earn money fast

As reported by Chinese-language Malaysian news outlet, Oriental Daily News, Xiao Wang heard of an illegal underground hospital through a middleman.

He travelled to Chenzhou, China to perform an operation and had his kidney removed in exchange for 22,000 yuan (around S$4,375).

Xiao Wang bought the iPhone 4 with the money. However, things took a turn for the worse.

The operation was performed in less-than-sanitary conditions, and Xiao Wang's wound became infected.

This led to the rapid deterioration of his kidney function, and his family wound up paying huge hospital bills for his treatment.

The family sued the middleman and his accomplices for 2.2 million yuan (around S$438,000), but it doesn't make up for the fact that Xiao Wang's health would never be the same.

These days, an iPhone 4 retails for a few hundred dollars.

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Top image adapted from YouTube and Apple Support