Company employees split $10 million bonus

St. John Properties in Baltimore gave its staff a very generous gift at its annual Christmas party on Saturday. All 198 of the commercial real estate company’s employees will share a $10 million Christmas bonus to celebrate a successful year.

How much will each employee get? The bonus was divided based on how long each employee has been with the firm, the company said in a news release. The average amount was $50,000. Only five co-workers knew about the surprise bonus ahead of the announcement. The Baltimore Business Journal named company founder and chairman Edward St. John its CEO of the year for 2019. “He takes care of his employees and he gives back to the community,” said Michael Greenebaum, another Maryland developer. St. John’s charitable giving foundation has donated more than $60 million to education programs and nonprofit groups.

Dig deeper: Watch the St. John Properties staff react to the announcement.