A worker at a factory received a substantial sum, 34 times his usual monthly pay, due to an error. Vladimir Rychagov, from Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia, was on unpaid leave when 7.1 million roubles (about £67,000) was mistakenly deposited into his bank account, representing the salaries of 34 colleagues. Despite the company’s attempts to reclaim the funds, Vladimir decided to keep the money and eventually left his job to relocate his family to Khabarovsk.
Following the unexpected windfall, Vladimir purchased a car and initiated legal action against his former employer. Initially accused of involvement in the payment error, authorities found no evidence of wrongdoing. Although not facing criminal charges, Vladimir may be required to return the money, which he intends to challenge in Russia’s Supreme Court.
Maintaining his stance on the matter, Vladimir cited information he found online that supported his right to retain the funds since it was a technical mistake. The company acknowledged the error, attributing it to a software glitch that led to the incorrect transfer. The company’s acting CEO confirmed the mistake and stated their intention to address the issue through legal channels.
In a similar incident in Chile in 2022, a worker was mistakenly paid 286 times his regular salary and subsequently vanished after initially pledging to repay the excess amount.
