Is this your corporate culture, Kuaishou? Employees claim they spend heavily on celebrating leaders' birthdays—with all costs split among staff.
Recently, a Kuaishou employee posted on professional networking platform Maimai, revealing that annual celebrations for "+2" (their direct supervisor's superior) birthdays and work anniversaries are treated like major projects. Committees are formed in advance to arrange gifts, book restaurants, order flowers and cakes, and even orchestrate surprise appearances. The "+2" leader feigns surprise while pre-edited emotional videos play, followed by photo sessions. All expenses are split among employees, with gifts and cakes reportedly expensive—occurring twice yearly with new themes each time. The post added that "+2" leaders brag to peers about their team’s lavish gestures.
The employee further noted that "+3" (higher-level management) celebrations are even more elaborate, requiring HRBP approval for planning. Other Kuaishou employees confirmed the practice in comments, estimating annual personal costs at thousands of yuan. Some netizens joked darkly, "At least your team’s hierarchy is stable—my '+2' never lasts a year."
The original post has since been deleted, and Kuaishou has not commented. Whether this is an isolated incident or widespread remains unclear.
**Contrasting Financial Performance** Meanwhile, Kuaishou’s Q3 financial report paints a brighter picture. On November 19, the company announced revenue of RMB 35.6 billion (+14.2% YoY) and adjusted net profit of RMB 5 billion (+26.3% YoY). Cost reductions contributed significantly: sales/marketing expenses fell 4% YoY to RMB 10.4 billion, while administrative costs dropped 13.6% to RMB 688 million, likely tied to layoffs and benefit cuts.
User metrics hit record highs: average daily active users (DAU) reached 416 million, and monthly active users (MAU) 731 million, with usage time rising to 134.1 minutes per day.
**AI-Driven Growth** CEO Cheng Yixiao attributed the strong results to AI integration across operations. In advertising, Kuaishou’s OneRec model improved ad-user interest matching, while the G4RL bidding model maximized ROI. AI-generated ad creatives, costing advertisers over RMB 3 billion, now directly boost revenue.
E-commerce GMV grew 15.2% to RMB 385 billion, aided by the OneSearch model’s 5% lift in mall search orders. The video AI model *Kling* saw explosive growth, with Q3 revenue surpassing RMB 300 million (+RMB 50 million QoQ). Global users exceeded 45 million, generating 200 million videos and 400 million images. Though *Kling* currently contributes just 1% to revenue, its 2025 target was raised from $60 million to $140 million (RMB 1 billion).
While *Kling*’s long-term impact is uncertain, AI’s role in Kuaishou’s future is undeniable.