As IPO nears, Alibaba prepares employees for windfall

[HONG KONG] As Alibaba prepares for what could be the biggest tech company IPO to date, the Chinese e-commerce giant has been counselling employees on how to deal with the roughly US$41 billion they could unlock through a New York listing.

While some staffers have enquired if premium brand BMW sells cars in Alibaba's corporate orange, others may invest windfall stock gains in property in North America or channel funds back into start-up ventures in China, hoping to build future Alibabas, bankers and financial planners say.

The company, though, has been preparing employees for years on how to manage the avalanche of cash, warning them not to be carried away and splurge on material goods.