The company responsible for inadvertently creating a scenario where a UK business owner was briefly considered the wealthiest woman in the world has finally spoken up.

Sophie Downing, hailing from Nottingham, captured headlines recently after receiving a gift card that displayed an astonishing remaining balance of over £63 quadrillion while making a purchase at 200 Degrees Coffee with a £10 voucher she received as a Christmas gift.

This unexpected windfall, totaling 63 followed by 15 zeros, momentarily placed Sophie in a position theoretically 100,000 times richer than Elon Musk. However, the catch was that this immense sum could only be used for coffee and croissants.

Sophie, the proprietor of the Secret Sugar Club specializing in hair removal services, revisited the coffee shop on February 17 and noticed that the balance on the gift card was still in the tens of quadrillions.

After unintentionally raising Sophie to the status of a quadrillionaire, 200 Degrees Coffee has addressed the situation. In a statement to the BBC, the company clarified that the eye-popping figure was a result of a technical error, where the displayed amount was actually the gift card number, not the balance.

A spokesperson for the chain explained that the receipt inaccurately reflected a higher amount due to an input mistake during the transaction. The correct balance was charged, and a revised receipt was issued to Sophie, rectifying the confusion.

Sophie herself found humor in the situation, describing it as a unique experience. She jokingly embraced the title of the world’s richest woman on paper, relishing the temporary status.

While appreciative of the unexpected wealth, Sophie humorously remarked that she would have preferred a £63 quadrillion gift card for use at a supermarket.