A man was mistakenly paid 330 times his salary: he was allowed to keep the money (2 photos)

An unusual story occurred in Santiago. The man resigned after the incident and was ultimately awarded approximately $180,000 in compensation, despite years of legal proceedings.





An employee of Consorcio Industrial de Alimentos (CIAL), a company engaged in the production and distribution of food products in Latin America, expected a standard salary of 500,000 Chilean pesos in May 2022. Instead, more than 165 million pesos arrived in his bank account. This amount is equivalent to approximately $180,000 US dollars.

Why the employee quit

Initially, the man informed his employer of the error and promised to personally contact the bank to get the funds returned. However, a few days later, he stopped responding and failed to show up for work. Seventy-two hours later, his lawyer filed an official resignation letter, after which the employee effectively disappeared, keeping the money he had received.

The company classified the incident as theft and contacted the police. However, the defense insisted that the employee had not tampered with the payment system, had not committed fraud, and had not initiated the transfer. The funds had been credited solely through the fault of the employer.



Can the company return the money?

The legal battle lasted almost three years. In September 2025, a Santiago court ruled that the man's actions did not meet the definition of theft. The judges classified the incident as "unauthorized appropriation," which does not carry criminal penalties under Chilean law.

The court emphasized that there was no evidence of intent, pressure on the company, or manipulation of financial systems. As a result, the charges were dropped, and the employee was allowed to keep the money. If convicted of theft, he would have faced up to 540 days in prison and mandatory restitution.

Nevertheless, the story may continue. CIAL representatives have announced their intention to file a civil lawsuit to recover the erroneously paid amount and have the decision reviewed. For now, the former company employee remains the owner of a sudden fortune that has completely changed his life.