@historyfacts_110 — 143x breakout

Loading video…

People Who Made Millions of Dollars From One Single Decision 😳

@historyfacts_110

4.3K followers · usually 4.6K views a post

Views

650.9K

Likes

14.4K

Comments

144

229

Why it worked

The video leverages a dramatic and improbable true story of a banking error leading to a massive theft and subsequent manhunt, creating a compelling narrative that hooks viewers with the promise of an incredible outcome.

Summary

The video tells the story of Hui "Leo" Gao, who owned a struggling gas station and received a $10,000 overdraft from Westpac. Due to an employee error, he was given access to $10 million, which he then transferred to overseas accounts and fled with. He was eventually caught and sentenced to prison.

Structure

1Introduction of Leo Gao and his mistake
2The bank error and the large sum of money
3Leo's escape and evasion
4His eventual capture and sentencing

Product placement

Westpac: acts - it is a bank that approved a loan and made a mistake in the amount, which is central to the story. Removing it would change the story. WESCO: appears - it is the name of a gas station visible on screen. Removing it would not change the story.

On-screen text

People Who Made Millions of Dollars From One Single Decision 😳 Hui "Leo" Gao 😳 this is Hui Leo Gao and one decision turned a bank's mistake into an international manhunt back in 2009 Leo owned a struggling gas station in New Zealand and asked Westpac for a 10,000 dollar overdraft the bank approved it but an employee accidentally added two extra zeros giving him access to 10 million New Zealand dollars most people would have reported it Leo made a completely different decision he began transferring the money into overseas accounts within days he and his girlfriend abandoned the gas station and disappeared into Asia by the time Westpac discovered the error Leo had already moved around $6.7 million now the bank wanted its money back and police wanted Leo for more than two years he remained on the run across China and Macau while investigators searched internationally for him it looked like one banking mistake had made him rich forever but in September 2011 Leo tried crossing from mainland China into Hong Kong an Interpol alert exposed his identity and the runaway millionaire was arrested at the border pleaded guilty to seven theft charges and was sentenced to four years and seven months in prison one bank employee added two extra zeros Leo added one bad decision and it cost him four years and seven months of freedom