Chinese Crane Company Gives Workers 60 Million Yuan in Cash for Quick Counting Challenge

A crane company in China, Henan Mine, rewarded its employees with an extraordinary cash bonus of 60 million yuan (S$11.1 million) during its annual meeting on January 25. This was part of a larger bonus pool exceeding 100 million yuan (S$18.6 million) given to staff as a year-end incentive.

At the event, a long table, estimated to be 60-70 metres in length, was laden with piles of cash. Employees were given a strict 15-minute window to count as much of the money as they could. The company’s founder added an additional 20 million yuan on the spot, increasing the total prize pool from 40 million yuan to 60 million yuan.

A team of 30 people was tasked with selecting two employees to compete in the counting challenge. These two workers were tasked with counting as much cash as possible within the time limit. They were allowed to keep all the money they counted, which would then be shared equally among their team. In addition, the two workers received an extra 100 yuan (S$18.56) for their participation. However, miscounting resulted in deductions from their prize.

One employee reportedly counted 100,000 yuan (S$18,560.52) within the 15-minute period. According to the founder, the purpose of the money-counting activity was to “add fun” to the company’s annual gathering.

This is not the first time Henan Mine has given out large bonuses. In 2023, the company handed out a total of 14 million yuan (S$2.6 million) in bonuses, with 11.8 million yuan given out during a party, and the remainder distributed via a competition held the following day.

In videos of past events, cash mountains were seen stacked on stage, with some stacks so heavy that two people had to carry them. One recipient even dropped a pile of money after overloading his arms with stacks.