In an extravagant gesture that blends cultural symbolism with tangible rewards, Liu Jingkang, the visionary founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Chinese technology powerhouse Insta360, has once again captivated the industry by gifting pure gold keycaps to his top-performing employees. This annual tradition, now in its fourth year, highlights the company's deep appreciation for its workforce, particularly on Programmer's Day, which is observed on October 24—a date chosen for its numerical nod to 1024, a significant power of two in computing.
This year's event saw 21 exceptional staff members receive these handcrafted golden treasures, with the grand prize being a hefty space bar keycap weighing 35.02 grams and valued at an astonishing 45,000 dollars, or roughly 320,000 yuan based on current gold market prices.
Symbolism and Value
The keycaps, meticulously crafted from 99.9% pure gold, are not mere novelties but functional pieces designed to fit standard mechanical keyboards, symbolizing the "Golden Touch" that employees bring to their daily work. Liu has often emphasized that each keystroke by his team "Turns Stone into Gold," metaphorically representing how their innovative coding and problem-solving efforts transform raw ideas into groundbreaking products that fuel the company's global success.
Surging Value: Over the years, the value of these awards has surged dramatically, more than doubling since the program's inception in two thousand nineteen, largely due to the steady rise in international gold prices amid economic uncertainties.
"Gold Factory" Moniker: To date, Insta360 has distributed a total of 55 such keycaps, earning the firm a whimsical yet fitting nickname within China's bustling technology sector: the "Gold Factory." This moniker reflects not only the literal gold handouts but also the company's culture of fostering stability, reliability, and long-term loyalty among its talent pool.
A Comprehensive "Gold Culture"
Beyond the Programmer's Day bonuses, Insta360's "Gold Culture" permeates various aspects of employee life, creating a holistic environment of recognition and motivation.
Tenth Anniversary Commemoration: Earlier this year, in July, the company commemorated its tenth anniversary by presenting every employee—including part-time workers and interns—with a special "Gold Blind Box." These packages contained pure gold stickers weighing 0.36 grams each, accompanied by an uplifting message: "All that glitters is not only gold, but also you."
Personal Milestones: Employees marking marriages or the birth of a child are gifted one-gram pure gold coins as tokens of congratulations and good fortune.
Year-End Party Grand Prize: The extravagance peaked at the recent year-end party, where a 50-gram gold bar was the coveted grand prize in a company-wide competition, reinforcing team spirit.
Corporate Success and Talent Strategy
Founded in 2015 by Liu Jingkang while he was still a fresh graduate from Nanjing University, Insta360 has evolved from a dorm-room startup into a global leader in 360-degree imaging technology. The company, officially known as Arashi Vision Company, Limited, specializes in innovative cameras that capture immersive panoramic videos and photos, catering to action sports enthusiasts, filmmakers, and everyday consumers.
The company achieved a significant milestone in June 2025 with its initial public offering on the Shanghai Stock Exchange, propelling the firm's valuation into the billions and cementing Liu's status as one of China's youngest billionaires at age 33.
The gold keycap tradition, in particular, serves as a strategic tool for talent retention in a highly competitive industry where burnout and poaching are common challenges.
By tying rewards to performance metrics such as code contributions, project completions, and innovative breakthroughs, Liu ensures that excellence is not only recognized but also incentivized in a memorable way.
In the broader context of China's technology landscape, Insta360's practices stand out amid a wave of companies experimenting with unconventional benefits to combat the infamous "996" work culture—referring to the grueling 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., 6-days-a-week schedule.
Proponents argue that these gold-themed incentives, which draw on the cultural reverence for gold as a symbol of prosperity and enduring value, reflect a savvy investment in human capital, potentially yielding higher productivity and lower turnover rates.
In an era where employee satisfaction is key to sustained innovation, Liu Jingkang's approach proves that sometimes, the best way to value your people is to quite literally give them gold.