A generous boss in the US has given his 198 employees a share of $10 million (£8 million) to say thank you for meeting his company's target. Quite the Christmas bonus!
Founder of St. John Properties, Edward St. John, 81, gathered his staff on Saturday at the Christmas party to announce the huge payout, which ended with many of them breaking down in tears, overwhelmed at the generosity.
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The payout was based on the amount of years each staff member had worked at the company, which on average was ($50,000) £38,000 each.
The moment was captured on video and saw staff open red envelopes detailing the amount they'd be receiving in addition to their usual pay packets, as well as on top of their regular end of year bonus they normally get in December.
It has left us tearing up just looking at how much it means to some of the employees.
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One woman said: "What happened tonight was magical. It is life-changing."
The real estate firm based in Maryland said the bonus was a thank you and a celebration of achieving its goal of developing 20 million square feet of work and retail space across eight states.
Edward said the firm wanted to reward its employees "in a big way that would make a significant impact on their lives."
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"I am thankful for every one of our employees, for their hard work and dedication. I couldn't think of a better way to show it," he added.
The company certainly isn't short of money, given that it began nearly 50 years ago with just two employees and is now a hugely successful real estate company, but it's amazing to see a big firm show such major appreciation to its staff.
Edward added: "I may steer the boat, but they're the ones that run the boat. They are the ones that make the boat go. Without the team, we are nothing."
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Hear hear.
Featured Image Credit: St. John Properties