A worker in Chile who was mistakenly paid 330 times his salary has won a legal battle to keep the money. The employee, a distribution assistant at food company Consorcio Industrial de Alimentos (CIAL), received 165 million Chilean pesos (about £180,000) instead of his usual 500,000 pesos in May 2022.
Initially, the worker informed the company of the error and promised to arrange a refund. However, after three days of being unreachable, he submitted a formal resignation through his solicitor, effectively retaining the funds. CIAL filed a criminal complaint for theft, sparking a three-year legal dispute.
The court in Santiago ruled in September 2025 that the act did not constitute theft but 'unauthorised appropriation', which carries no criminal penalty under Chilean law. The judges concluded the payment was solely due to a company error, with no evidence of intent to unlawfully appropriate the funds or manipulation of the payroll system.
Had the worker been convicted of theft, he could have faced up to 540 days in prison and been ordered to repay the money. Instead, the court allowed him to keep the windfall. However, CIAL has indicated it may pursue civil proceedings to recover the funds, with a spokesperson stating the company will file an appeal for annulment.
