AV or not AV ? A pointless exercise ?

As far as I can see, person "A" gets 40% of votes, the other 60% is divided between say 5 others, Person "A" should be winner, but under AV, it goes to a recount & knock out etc, until someone gets a 50%, that person could have started the original vote with the least voters but ends up the winner! That's why the Lib Dems are all for it.