Hong Kong Man Arrested for Refusing to Share $3.95M Lottery Win with Colleagues

A Hong Kong man, identified only by his surname Ling, has been arrested for refusing to split a $3.95 million lottery win with his colleagues. Ling, who previously worked at the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, demanded more money for himself, leading to a fallout with his colleagues. Ling transferred the winnings to a fixed bank deposit and has not shared it out as a probe into his actions is ongoing.

Ling handed in his resignation immediately after finding out he had won and then cut off all communication with his colleagues. He eventually contacted them and said he wanted to retain $1.27 million of the total prize, arguing that it was his numbers that had won the prize. He would have normally been entitled to a much smaller $220,000 payout under even-split rules.

Ling’s co-workers refused his offer to keep $1.27 million of the total prize, demanding payment under the terms of the original lottery ticket purchase. After Ling refused, his colleagues turned to the police for assistance, fearing that he might not repay them. Ling was arrested on Friday, September 11, and remains in custody as of the time of reporting.