NewChinese tycoon’s France-holiday gift to staff seen as cheap stunt by some
Li Jinyuan made global headlines by sending 6,000 employees to France for a holiday, but the move triggered a mixed reaction on the mainland
Billionaire Li Jinyuan made headlines around the world when he sent more than 6,000 employees of his direct sales company on a holiday to France, but his largesse was met with criticism at home.
The founder and chairman of China's Tiens Group was being ostentatious and the vacation was merely a job incentive in disguise aimed at encouraging his sales teams to push their wares even harder, people said on social media.
Few outside the mainland would likely have recognised the Tiens Group name before last weekend.
But the company is one of the biggest direct sellers on the mainland, moving 11.5 billion yuan (HK$14.57 billion) in health care, skincare and household products in China and other countries last year, according to industry figures.
Foreign media seized on the staff vacation, estimating the company spent about HK$113 million on the four-day trip to Paris and Nice, based on the price of flights, train tickets and hotels.