13年未备案“地下”持股计划曝光！53名离职员工起诉百年人寿，索赔8000万元

Core Viewpoint - The article discusses the tumultuous journey of Baonian Life Insurance, highlighting its rapid growth, subsequent financial troubles, and governance issues, culminating in a collective lawsuit from former employees over unfulfilled equity incentive agreements [2][3][4]. Group 1: Company Background - Baonian Life Insurance was established in 2009 as the first domestic life insurance company in Northeast China, initially backed by local real estate firms [5]. - The company experienced a turnaround under Wanda Group's leadership, achieving a net profit of 0.32 billion yuan in 2015 after six years of losses, with cumulative profits exceeding 2.8 billion yuan over six years [6]. - However, the company faced significant challenges, including a drastic drop in net profit from 5.88 billion yuan in 2022 to a loss of 2.71 billion yuan, alongside a surge in policy surrenders [6][10]. Group 2: Governance and Legal Issues - A collective lawsuit involving 53 former employees claims Baonian Life failed to honor a 12-year-old equity incentive plan, with a total claim amounting to 80 million yuan [2][3]. - The equity incentive plan, which allowed employees to purchase shares at prices ranging from 1 yuan to 1.78 yuan, was not reported to regulatory authorities for over a decade, raising compliance concerns [3][4]. - The company argued that returning funds would violate capital maintenance principles, but the employees contended they were never granted actual shares, thus lacking shareholder rights [4][9]. Group 3: Recent Developments - In response to the crisis, the company appointed new leadership, including former executives from major financial institutions, and received a capital injection from state-owned enterprises [7][10]. - Despite these changes, Baonian Life continues to face regulatory scrutiny, with multiple branches penalized for various violations, including misleading sales practices [8][9]. - The company is at a critical juncture, needing to address deep-rooted governance issues and restore trust among stakeholders to ensure its survival and potential recovery [10].