In Santiago, Chile, an employee of Consorcio Industrial de Alimentos (CIAL) received a significant payroll error, getting paid 330 times his regular salary. The distribution assistant, who typically expected 500,000 pesos, found a massive deposit of 165,398,851 million Chilean pesos (around $180,000 or €172,000) in his account in May 2022.

Initially, the employee notified the company about the error and expressed willingness to return the overpayment. However, after disappearing for three days and submitting a resignation letter through his lawyer, he decided to keep the money, leading to a legal battle with the company accusing him of theft.

During the three-year legal dispute, the employee’s legal team argued that there was no deceit involved as the deposit was entirely accidental, with no manipulation from the employee’s end. In September 2025, the Santiago court ruled in favor of the employee, stating that the act constituted ‘unauthorized appropriation’ rather than theft, which is not punishable under Chilean law.

While the court allowed the employee to keep the money, the company, CIAL, is considering pursuing civil action to recover the funds. It is advised that in cases of overpayment, employees should promptly inform payroll or human resources. According to experts, if a company does not seek repayment within a year, the employee may not be legally obligated to return the excess amount under the law.

For now, the former CIAL employee is enjoying the unexpected windfall that altered his life.