A businessman from Louisiana has earned comparisons to Santa Claus, after he insisted on one non-negotiable condition before finalising the deal to sell his family-run manufacturing company: his employees had to benefit directly.
As a result, 15 per cent of the sale proceeds of Fibrebond, about $240 million (roughly Rs 2,157.36 crore), were distributed among 540 staff members, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal.
The businessman, Graham Walker, said the decision was driven by gratitude. Many of his employees, he explained, had stayed loyal to the company through difficult periods, and he wanted to acknowledge that commitment in a meaningful way. The payouts began in June, with the average bonus working out to $4,43,000 per person. The amount will be paid over five years, on the condition that employees remain with the company during that time.
The former CEO recalled that when the first payments arrived, not everyone believed it was real. Some employees reportedly thought it was a joke, while others were overwhelmed with emotion.
According to Walker, people used the money in ways that mattered most to them, clearing mortgages, reducing debt, buying vehicles, covering college fees, and planning for retirement. Reflecting on how quickly some chose to spend it, the 46-year-old said, “Some spent it on day one, maybe even night number one,” before adding, “Ultimately, it’s their decision, good or bad.”
🇺🇸 THIS BOSS SOLD HIS COMPANY FOR $1.7 BILLION… AND GAVE EMPLOYEES $240 MILLION
Graham Walker just delivered the ultimate Christmas story.
When he sold his family’s Louisiana company Fibrebond to Eaton, he had one condition: 15% of the $1.7 billion sale goes to his 540… pic.twitter.com/2lbJJNnSMa
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) December 26, 2025
One employee, who joined Fibrebond in 1995 and now manages a team of 18, shared how the bonus transformed her life. She paid off her home loan and finally opened a clothing boutique she had long dreamed of running. “Before, we were going paycheck to paycheck,” she said. “I can live now; I’m grateful.”
What makes Walker’s move particularly unusual is that the employees who received these bonuses did not own shares in the company, a benefit typically reserved for stakeholders during acquisitions.
As the story spread on X, reactions poured in. One user wrote, “Wow, what a hero, what a story! Amidst all the chaos that is existence, the kind that has one retaining some measure of faith and hope in humanity.”
Another commented, “That is so great. I left a company after 30 years of service and got simple, hey good luck, on the way out.”
A third summed up the sentiment by saying, “This is the kind of capitalism we need more of. A boss who sees his team as family, not just labor. Graham Walker didn’t just sell a company, he gave 540 people life-changing futures. Real leadership. Merry Christmas indeed.”