When a Russian factory worker opened his banking app and saw more zeros than usual, he thought the rumors were true. His plant in Khanty-Mansiysk had been hinting at a “13th salary” bonus after a strong year, and it looked like he’d just hit the jackpot. Instead of his usual 46,000 rubles (about $580), he’d been paid over 7 million rubles, or roughly $87,000.
The man, identified as Vladimir Rychagov, didn’t immediately question the windfall. Then came the calls. The accounting department told him the payment was a mistake, a technical glitch that accidentally sent him the salaries of 34 coworkers. They wanted the money back. Rychagov declined.
“After checking the internet, I found that if it was a technical error, I didn’t have to return it,” he told Russia’s Channel 5. “Later, I learned it was a technical error and decided I had the right to keep the money.” According to court documents cited by Oddity Central, the payment was meant for another branch entirely. His employer insisted that because the transfer wasn’t actually his salary, he was legally obligated to return it.
Rychagov saw things differently. He argued the deposit came from the same company name listed on his paycheck and appeared under the label “salary,” so as far as he was concerned, it was his. When the company’s demands became more aggressive, he used part of the cash to buy a car and move his family to another city. On the way, the factory filed a lawsuit and froze his bank accounts.
He was accused of conspiring with an accountant, but those charges didn’t hold up. Still, both the trial and appellate courts sided with the factory, ruling that the $87,000 must be repaid. Rychagov appealed again, and the case has now reached Russia’s Supreme Court.
Meanwhile, the company has kept its public statements brief. “There was no 13th salary involved,” acting CEO Roman Tudachkov told reporters. “It was an erroneous transfer. We have a court order and will handle this through the legal system.”
Rychagov remains unbothered. “December’s salary was credited, plus there were rumors about a large 13th salary,” he said. “That suggested the facilities closed well.”
He might lose the case, but for a brief moment, he lived every underpaid worker’s dream.
The post A Factory Worker Got Everyone’s Paycheck by Mistake. Now He’s Refusing To Give the Money Back. appeared first on VICE.
