Man Receives 300 Times Salary By Mistake, Court Lets Him Keep It

A Chilean man has won the right to keep a staggering sum of money he received by accident which is 300 times his normal monthly salary.

In May 2022, while working as an assistant at Dan Consorcio Industrial de Alimentos de Chile, he was mistakenly paid £127,000 instead of his usual wage of around £386. Initially, he promised to return the excess amount but resigned just three days later, sparking a legal battle that lasted three years.

Court Rules ‘Unauthorised Collection’ Not Theft

The company claimed the employee had agreed to return the overpayment but left abruptly, labelling it as theft. However, a Santiago court determined the incident was an “unauthorised collection” rather than a criminal act. This distinction meant the case could not be prosecuted as theft, allowing the man to legally keep the money.

Despite the ruling, the company has announced plans to challenge it. Representatives told Diario Financiero that they will take “all possible legal steps” to reclaim the funds, suggesting the dispute may continue in the courts.

This unusual case highlights the complexities of workplace errors and legal definitions. It also joins a list of strange workplace controversies, including instances where remote employees in the UK were accused of faking productivity.

Experts say that while such cases are rare, they underline the importance of strict payroll checks and internal controls to prevent accidental overpayments. Employees and employers alike can learn from this case about the legal implications of payroll errors and the distinction between criminal theft and unauthorised collection.

In the end, this Chilean employee’s case demonstrates that even a massive payroll mistake does not always lead to legal penalties if courts interpret the error as non-criminal.