Imagine waking up one morning, checking your bank account, and seeing not your usual balance, but a cool $10 million. Ten. Million. Dollars. What’s your first thought? Is it “Oh, a mistake, I should call the bank immediately!” or is it… well, something a little more adventurous?
For New Zealander Leo Gao, in 2009, this wasn’t a hypothetical. His bank, ANZ, accidentally deposited a whopping NZ$10 million (about US$6.2 million at the time) into his account. Gao, who owned a struggling petrol station, had applied for a business loan, and somehow, the bank’s wires got spectacularly crossed.
From Petrol Station to Private Jet
So, what did Leo do? Did he contact the bank? Nope. Within hours, he and his girlfriend, Cara Young, had transferred a significant chunk of the money – around NZ$6.7 million – into other accounts. Then, they vanished. We’re talking a full-on, Hollywood-style disappearance, hopping on a flight out of New Zealand and staying on the run for two whole years. Talk about taking “living large” to a whole new level!
Think about it: one moment you’re trying to keep your business afloat, the next you’re a multi-millionaire on the lam. The temptation must have been immense. They reportedly traveled through Asia and Europe, living life like true high-rollers, all thanks to a very expensive banking error.
The Chase and the Unrecovered Millions
But as most good thrillers teach us, the chase eventually ends. After two years of globetrotting, Gao was finally caught in Hong Kong and extradited back to New Zealand in 2011. His girlfriend, Cara, had returned earlier and faced her own charges.
When it came to court, Gao pleaded guilty to theft. Here’s where it gets even wilder: despite being paroled after serving only 16 months of his sentence, the court assumed he still had control over, and access to, the NZ$3.7 million that was never recovered. Yes, you read that right. A significant portion of that accidental windfall simply… vanished. Into thin air? Or perhaps into a very clever offshore account? We may never know.
Lessons from a Bank’s Oopsie
This wild tale of Leo Gao isn’t just a funny anecdote about a massive bank error; it’s a fascinating look into human nature, temptation, and the surprising realities of international finance and justice. It also serves as a stark reminder to banks everywhere: double-check those digits!
So, back to that initial question: what would you do? It’s easy to say “I’d return it immediately,” but when $10 million magically appears, the line between right and incredibly tempting can get a little blurry, can’t it? Just remember, as Leo Gao found out, even a dream come true can turn into a two-year nightmare… with a side of unrecovered millions.
Caracole