A project manager at Chinese technology giant Tencent has been dismissed after details of his multimillion-yuan annual compensation package surfaced online, triggering widespread discussion on Chinese social media.
According to an internal company notice cited by multiple reports, the employee, identified only by his surname Ye, was fired for leaking confidential corporate information to external parties. Tencent said the breach had a "severe negative impact both inside and outside the company."
Ye worked in Tencent's Weixin Group, the division behind WeChat, China's dominant super app with more than 1.3 billion users.
Bonus details spread across social media
The controversy began after a screenshot, believed to have been taken from an internal Tencent platform, started circulating online. It showed Ye's annual compensation package amounted to about 3.17 million yuan (approximately ₹4.5 crore).
The package reportedly included a cash bonus of more than 820,000 yuan (roughly ₹1.2 crore) and stock-based incentives worth over 2.35 million yuan, according to a report in South China Morning Post.
Separate reports said Ye himself had shared an image of his year-end income statement on social media. While many users focused on the size of the payout, others noticed that the screenshot contained an internal Tencent watermark, raising concerns that confidential company information had been disclosed.
Top performance reportedly led to massive payout
According to Chinese media reports, Ye had received Tencent's highest performance rating twice during the previous year's evaluations. The company reportedly categorises employee performance into three levels—outstanding, good and insfufficient—with the top "outstanding" rating typically awarded to only the top 10-20% of employees within a team.
{{/usCountry}}According to Chinese media reports, Ye had received Tencent's highest performance rating twice during the previous year's evaluations. The company reportedly categorises employee performance into three levels—outstanding, good and insfufficient—with the top "outstanding" rating typically awarded to only the top 10-20% of employees within a team.
{{/usCountry}}His cash bonus alone was said to be equivalent to roughly six months' salary.
Fired and permanently blacklisted
Tencent's internal notice said Ye had been terminated and permanently barred from future employment at the company. It added that Tencent would issue a separate circular outlining the disciplinary action being taken over his alleged breach of management and conduct rules.
Tencent's compliance policies prohibit employees from sharing sensitive internal information, including trade secrets, unreleased source code, internal communications and employee records.
(Also read: Viral video shows queues outside Tencent HQ in China for free AI agents, sparks debate on India’s AI push)
Tencent tightens crackdown on internal misconduct
The dismissal comes as Tencent continues to strengthen its internal compliance efforts.
In its annual corporate report released in January, the Shenzhen-based company said its anti-corruption and compliance team uncovered more than 70 cases of misconduct in 2025. Those investigations led to the dismissal of over 90 employees, while more than 20 individuals were referred to law enforcement for criminal prosecution over suspected offences.