Man Wins iPhone 17 Pro Max At Company Dinner, Unboxes It To Find Ceramic Tiles Instead Of The Phone

Imagine the whirlwind of emotions that comes with being told you’ve won a prize, only to discover later it was all a sham.

Sadly, that’s exactly what happened to Jiang Jiang, a man from China’s Guangdong province, during a recent company gathering.

Sharing his story online, Jiang recalled attending his company’s year-end party, where he was announced as the winner of the grand prize — a bright orange iPhone 17 Pro Max. Overjoyed, he decided to wait until he got home so he could unbox it with his wife.

He received the prize in what appeared to be perfect condition, complete with an authentic-looking iPhone 17 Pro Max box, the original shopping bag, and an invoice showing the phone’s price as 9,988 yuan (S$1,827). 

The company’s boss even announced the prize and its price at the party, leaving everyone convinced that Jiang had won a brand-new phone.

Jiang returned home eager to open his prize, but that was when everything began to unravel.

He opened the box, only to find small pieces of ceramic tiles, chocolates, and lollipops. Jiang said he believed he was the party’s biggest winner, only to discover he was, in actuality, the biggest loser.

Although some thought the party’s organiser had switched the real phone for the other items, Jiang revealed that it was simply a prank planned by his team manager.

Jiang, who works at a hospital, added that his employer had not approved buying a phone for the event. According to him, the second prize that night was just a pillow. 

"They turned the year-end party into an April Fools' Day event for me," he lamented. 

Although he said he didn’t need the phone, Jiang demanded an apology from the individual behind the prank. 

Netizens sympathised with Jiang, with some arguing that companies should stop giving out absurd and useless prizes at gatherings, calling it “disrespectful” to employees and a sign of insincerity on the employer’s part.