Cab Driver Returns $900,000 In Cash, Says Money Is ‘Unimportant’

In yet another case of an amazingly honest person returning something that doesn’t belong to them, a cab driver who found nearly $900,000 in cash brought the money to his taxi company’s lost and found office.

Seventy-year-old Sia Ka Tian, a taxi driver in Singapore, was surprised to find a black paper bag in the backseat after he dropped a Thai couple off at a shopping mall.

“When I saw the money, I thought, trouble is here,” Tian said. “I was sure there was at least Sg$200,000 in the bag.”

When Tian brought the bag to ComfortDelGro’s lost and found, his colleagues counted Sg$1.1 million in thousand dollar bills.

Tian said, “The money is unimportant to me. It doesn’t belong to me, so how can I use it?”

The couple that Tian had just dropped off reported the loss to the taxi company, and he was waiting for them when they came back to claim their cash. The couple gave Tian an undisclosed cash reward for his honesty, and the taxi company plans to give him an award for good service.

“Finding one million dollars in cash is not an everyday affair,” company spokesman Tammy Tan said. “And in fact, we wonder how many people would have possibly been tempted to pocket it. We are immensely proud of him and are glad that the passengers recovered their money.”

A driver for the same cab company turned in 11 pounds of gold bars worth $377,000 in 2009. In October, a Las Vegas taxi driver returned a laptop case with $221,000 in casino winnings to its rightful owner. He was given a $2,000 “tip” as a reward.

What would you do if you found $900,000 in cash?