Tencent fires WeChat manager after large bonus screenshot leak
Tencent terminated a senior manager in its WeChat Business Group (WXG) after a screenshot of his year‑end bonus was circulated online. The screenshot showed a bonus of 3.17 million NDT (about 12.3 billion VND), consisting of 820,000 NDT in cash and shares worth roughly 2.35 million NDT. Tencent said the leak involved not only the bonus figure but also an internal document bearing a unique watermark, which allowed investigators to trace the source. The manager, identified as Diệp, had received “Excellent” performance ratings in two consecutive assessments for 2025. After the investigation, Tencent ended his employment, placed him on a blacklist preventing re‑hire within the group, and disclosed that he was not barred from working at other tech firms. The incident highlights the use of employee‑specific watermarks by major Chinese tech companies such as Tencent, ByteDance and Huawei to protect confidential information.
Entities: Diệp · Tencent Holdings Ltd · WeChat Business Group
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 3 SOURCES] Tencent traced the leak to the manager using a unique watermark embedded in the internal document. (Tencent)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Tencent’s policy bans the terminated employee from future employment within the entire group. (Tencent)
- [● 3 SOURCES] There is no indication the manager is banned from working at other technology companies. (Tencent)
- [● 3 SOURCES] The bonus comprised 820,000 NDT in cash and shares worth about 2.35 million NDT. (Tencent)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Other Chinese tech firms such as ByteDance and Huawei also use employee‑specific watermarks in internal documents. (Tencent)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Tencent terminated a senior manager in its WeChat Business Group after a screenshot of his bonus was leaked. (Tencent)
- [● 3 SOURCES] The leaked screenshot showed a year‑end bonus of 3.17 million NDT (about 12.3 billion VND). (Tencent)
- [● 3 SOURCES] The manager, identified as Diệp, received an “Excellent” performance rating in two consecutive assessments for 2025. (Tencent)