Spanx is now worth $1.2 billion, and to celebrate the occasion last week, CEO Sara Blakely gave each employee $10,000 and two first-class airplane tickets to anywhere in the world. That's twice the amount of savings, $5,000, she started the shapewear company with in 2000, the Guardian reports. At the time, when she envisioned being at the head of a $20 million company someday, she says, people laughed. "To stand here today and think about what we've been able to create, and what we've been able to do, by being authentic and kind and deliver amazing products to women, to use very feminine principles in a very masculine space, which is business—leading with intuition, vulnerability—all the things that, 21 years ago, I thought, 'Well, let's just try this and see what happens,'" she said when announcing the news to employees.
Blakely shared video of the announcement to Instagram. In the caption, she explains that "I really want every employee to celebrate this moment in their own way and create a memory that will last them a lifetime," hence the tickets and spending money. The video features the shocked and overjoyed reactions of the employees. News articles are using terms like "best work perks ever?" and "best boss in the world." The valuation comes as a result of investment firm Blackstone buying a majority stake in Spanx last week, CNBC reports. "Sara Blakely—the founder of of SPANX surprised her more than 500 employees with two first class tickets apiece to anywhere in the world—and also $10,000 each," reads one sample Twitter reaction. "This is amazing. It isn’t hard to be incredibly kind..." (More uplifting news stories.)
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