A privately held heavy‑equipment maker in central China turned its annual gala into a spectacle of cash and gratitude this week when its founder and chairman, Cui Peijun, announced that employees would share Rmb180 million of the company’s Rmb270 million profit. The event, held on February 13 by Henan Mining Crane Co., gave staff a chance to grab cash in a timed “counting” contest: organisers laid out banknotes on long tables, supplied 40 counting machines and invited frontline workers to count and claim whatever they could accurately tally within fixed intervals.
The mechanics were explicit. The onstage counting was grouped by seniority into 5‑, 10‑ and 15‑minute rounds; participants had to self‑report and sign their counts before verification by machines. A strict penalty — a ten‑note deduction for each miscounted bill — was intended to deter mistakes and cheating. Reporters at the scene watched one employee count Rmb91,000 in ten minutes and, after a two‑note error was detected, depart with Rmb89,000. Organisers also distributed Rmb60 million in cash at the ceremony and later added another Rmb3 million to the pool.
Cui, who also serves as the company’s party secretary, used his speech to bow deeply to staff, invite employees’ partners to a Valentine’s Day meal and offer practical counsel — “cash is king, don’t overspend.” The event blended theatrics with paternalistic leadership: public bows, a communal toast with traditional Du Kang liquor, and exhortations to “go and try new things” backed by the company’s support.
The episode matters beyond the human‑interest appeal. Year‑end bonuses are common in China, but the scale here — two‑thirds of profits redistributed to staff — is unusually generous for an industrial firm. The spectacle is calibrated to deliver several things at once: a morale and retention boost amid a slow recovery in Chinese demand; a public relations windfall on social media; and a demonstration that private employers can visibly share wealth with workers, a policy goal Beijing has emphasised under its “common prosperity” messaging.
At the same time, the choice to hand out large sums in cash and to stage a public counting contest raises practical questions about governance, tax compliance and worker safety. Large cash distributions can complicate payroll reporting and personal income tax withholding, and a public, competitive counting format could prompt fairness complaints or logistical headaches if disputes over verification multiply. Company leaders and local authorities will need to ensure the payments are reconciled with tax and social‑security obligations.
The event also highlights a broader managerial calculus in China today. Firms facing sluggish external demand and rising labour costs are experimenting with visible incentives to stabilise the workforce. For employees, a dramatic cash handout is an immediate payoff; for managers, it is a signalling device that aims to bind staff loyalty to the company rather than to short‑term market fluctuations or poaching by rivals.
There are limits to how far such gestures can be scaled. A one‑off redistribution financed by a bumper year is politically and emotionally potent, but it does not substitute for systematic wage growth, social protection, or a transparent compensation framework that employees can rely on year after year. Investors and analysts will watch whether the firm's generous distribution is a sustainable feature of its corporate model or a high‑profile exception designed to burnish the boss’s reputation.
For outside observers, the ceremony offers a snapshot of contemporary Chinese capitalism: a hybrid of entrepreneurial showmanship, Party involvement at the executive level, and public spectacle aimed at both domestic audiences and the broader narrative of shared prosperity. Whether it becomes a model for other industrial employers will depend on its operational consequences — tax audits, labour relations, and ultimately whether the payout delivers improved productivity and retention over time.