Employee quits job over an Nvidia RTX 5060 — intern asked to hand in GPU won on an all-expense-paid business trip, refused

According to Fast Technology, on November 14, a company in Shanghai sent one of its interns on a business trip to Suzhou to attend an Nvidia Roadshow event. At the end of the function, a stamp-collecting raffle was opened to everyone — essentially a lucky draw — where you could participate to win exciting prizes. Our "victim" signed up for it and ended up winning a brand-new RTX 5060, worth roughly 3000 RMB (~$422).

Graphics cards are typically the most expensive components in a computer. So, when you get your hands on one for free, it's like the universe finally throwing a bone at you, rewarding you for years of kindness and suffering. Then, if that GPU suddenly gets enveloped in a legal feud, you start to second-guess your alliances, shattering loyalties in a moment. Such is the bittersweet ordeal that unfolded in China this past week, where an employee almost lost his shiny new RTX 5060 but ultimately walked away with both the GPU and a story.

That same evening, he was told by a colleague that the finance department had already caught wind of this, and since the company would bear the costs, he should hand in the GPU. Later on, the winner reminisced about how accounts knew of no such thing, revealing that perhaps that coworker was just jealous in hindsight. Regardless, the news quickly spread, and the company became aware of the intern's blessed fortune. You can imagine how things took a turn from this point.

The firm gradually grew more contentious, demanding that the RTX 5060 be handed in because the event it was acquired at was part of a business trip, entirely paid for by the company. The employee would never have won the GPU had the firm not enabled him to attend the venue. Our winner refused, arguing that it belonged to him because he had won it on his own by pure luck. Neither party was willing to step down, and eventually the company's higher-ups got involved, repeatedly questioning him.

Even though the firm considered the RTX 5060 company property, it ultimately didn't confiscate the GPU. HR then told the intern to "look for another company," and he submitted his resignation that night. Assuming general corporate tendencies, the worker either had to be extremely steadfast or was paid like a typical intern (or not at all), so leaving the company over a $400 GPU was more worthwhile. Though staying without giving up the card might've harbored an even more hostile environment.

Lawyers discussing the case sided with the intern, saying that a prize won by random chance belongs to the person holding the ticket. It doesn't matter whether they were there on behalf of the business; in that moment, the employee wasn't fulfilling his duties when participating in the raffle. Unless the contract or internal rules explicitly address company property matters, in a legal standoff, the employee is in a stronger position.

Netizens agreed with this sentiment, with some mockingly asking whether the firm would've maintained the same tenacity and reimbursed the Internet had he been fined 50,000 RMB at the event instead. At the end, this story serves as a potent reminder to stand up for yourself in a corporate world that seldom sees you as anything more than replaceable.

Follow Tom's Hardware on Google News, or add us as a preferred source, to get our latest news, analysis, & reviews in your feeds.