Won a 2.1 Million Won iPhone in Rare Hermes Color... But Opening the Box Left Him Fuming

Prank by Team Manager at Year-End Party...Reported by Hong Kong Outlet
Users Criticize It as an "Event That Crushes Employee Morale"

A bizarre story has emerged of an office worker who believed he had won the latest iPhone at his company’s year-end party, only to discover when he opened the box at home that it contained only tiles and candy instead of a phone.

The Hong Kong outlet South China Morning Post (SCMP) recently reported the story of a man using the pseudonym Zhang Zhang, who lives in Guangdong Province, China.

At a recent company year-end party, Zhang was called up as the winner of the top prize, an “iPhone 17 Pro Max.” At the event, a receipt stating the price as 9,988 yuan (about 2.1 million won) was even shown, and a product box that looked genuine along with a branded shopping bag was handed to him. All the employees present believed he had received a real iPhone.

In China, a man said he thought he had won the latest iPhone at his company's year-end party, but when he opened the box at home he found tiles, chocolates and other items. Weibo screenshot.

Overjoyed, Zhang went home without opening the box so he could unbox it together with his wife. However, when he opened it at home, he found two chocolates, three lollipops, and several tiles instead of a phone.

He filmed a video about his experience and released it online, saying, “I was hoping to start 2026 with good luck, but the year-end party turned into April Fool’s Day for me.” He added, “It’s not that I desperately needed a phone, but I do want a public apology.”

Some people suspected that the organizers might have siphoned off the real prize, but Zhang explained that it was a prank prepared by his team manager. He works at a hospital, and the hospital reportedly did not approve the purchase of an actual phone. The second prize was only a pillow.

After the story spread, reactions on Chinese social media included messages of consolation for Zhang and criticism of corporate event culture. Some users shared their own experiences, saying, “The top prize at our company was a one-on-one meeting with the CEO,” and “Taking a photo with the CEO or getting an autograph was the prize.”

Another user criticized, “A year-end party should be an occasion to honor employees’ hard work, not a prank that crushes their spirits.”