If this had been kept quiet, I think the odds are high it would have never been noticed. I don't think Google has any of their own internal special sauce on their invoicing and payment. They are just as bad at it as everyone else.
I would very likely go for one year, but I think it's highly unlikely I'd go for two.
If I had to go for 5 years to get 45M, I think I'd pass. I definitely am not going to out-earn that or anything, I just value my time way, way too much, and value money way too little.
9M does a lot for my people and me, and after that I think I would just be helping out more people. They can suffer in their own prison!
If I could risk 5 years in prison for $120M, with a minimum guaranteed return of 45M and a maximum of 2-3 years? Yeah, I'd go for that, even if the chance to succeed without prison was pretty small, say 20%. The chance to escape punishment is a big motivator, and don't all of us think we're clever enough to do it?
Anyway, as you say, I'm the outlier. Almost everyone, even in the richest nation on earth, would accept that level of risk without a whole lot of thought.
Which, if it turns out you cannot legally keep the money somehow, you just paid a ton of money for someone to basically tell you that you cannot have the money, so now you're paying money because Google sent you money.
And then if you are considering the possibility of keeping it somehow I don't think you could afford to NOT consult a lawyer.
Either way it does seem like Google is going to end up costing you time/money :|
Abandoned property is basically finders keepers. Mislaid property should be left and the owner contacted, and the proprietor where it was left notified to help effect that. Lost property where the owner is known must also be returned. Lost or mislaid property might eventually be claimed when the return is impossible, for example, one cannot identify or contact owner after a long period, including perhaps posting public notices. At that point, it becomes considered abandoned.
Specifics vary a bit by jurisdiction, but I don't see it likely ever applying when you know who it came from and it's all on record. No reasonable person abandons cash in the wrong account. It is clearly mislaid. Maybe if they don't respond despite repeated formal contacts via legal channels. Obviously something to consult with a lawyer about over these kind of stakes...
Love that missing comma...
Lost, mislaid, and abandoned are *three technically distinct classifications.
Serial comma isn't really required [in all dialects], and its use is mostly mandated where it resolves some ambiguity.