A worker in a factory received 34 times his usual salary unexpectedly and decided to keep the money, resulting in his resignation and relocation. Vladimir Rychagov, a department head at Severavtodor in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia, found the salaries of 34 colleagues deposited into his bank account during a five-day unpaid leave in January.
The windfall totaled 7.1 million roubles, equivalent to approximately £67,000. Despite the firm’s attempts to rectify the error, Vladimir chose to retain the funds, citing it as a “technical error.” He used the money to purchase a car and move his family to Khabarovsk, a city closer to Japan than Europe.
Initially accused of colluding to redirect the funds, authorities dismissed the charges due to lack of evidence. While not facing criminal charges, Vladimir may be required to return the money as it is considered a company issue. He intends to escalate the matter to Russia’s Supreme Court, arguing that he is not obligated to return the funds as it was a technical mistake.
Oddity Central reported that the erroneous transfer was meant for a different branch, attributing the mishap to a software glitch. Roman Tudachkov, the acting CEO of the company, acknowledged the mistake and stated that they would address it through legal channels.
In a similar incident in Chile in 2022, a worker received 286 times his regular salary, leading to his resignation and disappearance after initially agreeing to return the money.