Chinese tech giant fires employee over leaked ₹4.5cr salary package
What's the story
In a shocking turn of events, Chinese tech giant Tencent has fired an employee after his multi-million yuan salary package was leaked online. The employee, identified only by his surname Ye, worked as a project manager in Tencent's Weixin Group, the team behind WeChat. His annual compensation package was revealed to be around CNY 3.17 million (approximately ₹4.5 crore), including bonuses and stock incentives.
Public reaction
Salary package included cash bonus and stock incentives
The leaked salary details, which were shared on an internal company platform, included a cash bonus of over CNY 820,000 (roughly ₹1.17 crore) and stock incentives worth more than CNY 2.35 million (around ₹3.35 crore).
The figures quickly went viral on Chinese social media platforms, sparking heated discussions about executive pay, employee privacy rights, and the breach of confidential corporate information.
Company response
Ye was fired for disclosing confidential corporate information
An internal company notice, seen by three Tencent employees, revealed that Ye was fired for disclosing confidential corporate information to outside parties.
The leak had a serious negative impact both within and outside the organization, according to the notice.
It also stated that Ye has been permanently barred from future employment at Tencent.
A formal disciplinary notice detailing the action taken against him is expected to be issued by the company.
Compliance measures
Tencent strengthening internal compliance efforts
Tencent has been strengthening its internal compliance efforts in recent years.
In its annual corporate report released in January, the company revealed that its anti-corruption team uncovered over 70 compliance violations in 2025.
More than 90 employees were dismissed as a result of those investigations, while over 20 cases were referred to law enforcement for criminal prosecution.
Under Tencent's compliance rules, employees are prohibited from disclosing confidential information such as trade secrets and employee records.