WTF?! Insta360, the Chinese company known for its action cameras and 360-degree models, has rewarded its top workers with an unusual gift: gold keycaps. They aren't just gold-colored cheap plastic ones, either; they are made of real gold, with the heaviest reportedly valued at around $45,000.
Insta360 has a tradition of gifting employees gold keycaps as a bonus on Programmer's Day in China. Celebrated on October 24 (10/24, or 1,024 – the number of bytes in a kilobyte), the day honors programmers' hard work, creativity, and contributions to tech culture. Major companies often celebrate with events, gifts, and online celebrations.
Programmers at Insta360 likely look forward to the date more than most. The Shenzhen-based firm has given away 55 gold keycaps over the years, according to SCMP.
During the most recent event, 21 of these keycaps were handed out. The most expensive – a particularly chunky space bar – weighs 35 grams and is currently valued at 320,000 yuan ($45,000).
It seems Insta360 has a penchant for giving gold gifts. To commemorate its tenth anniversary in July, all employees were given a "gold blind box" containing pure gold stickers adorned with various designs, each weighing 0.36 grams. There was also a message that read, "All that glitters is not only gold, but also you."
Employees who celebrate life events such as getting married or having a baby are given a one-gram coin of pure gold. There was also a fifty-gram 999-purity gold bar given away as a grand prize during the latest end-of-year party. According to estimates, the bar would be worth between $5,250 and $5,750.
The publication notes that the value of these gold bonuses has more than doubled since the first year they were presented due to rising gold prices.
Insta360 founder Liu Jingkang said that he does not give gold for its monetary value – though workers likely appreciate that – but for its "stability," emphasizing that a company's stability relies on its talented workforce. The gold keycaps, for example, symbolize that each keystroke is a touch that "turns the stone into gold."
Several employees appear to share Jingkang's sentiments and have vowed not to sell any gold they have been gifted.
One online comment conveyed what many people are likely thinking: "I cannot express how much I envy the company's employees."
Center image: Michael Steinberg