The billionaire founder of Chinese conglomerate Tiens Group has treated 3,000 of his best sales staff to a traditional Spanish paella dinner during a free trip to Madrid that also included a bullfight and a tour of King Felipe VI's Royal Palace.

The smiling workers washed down plates of paella with sangria at a massive spread of picnic tables in a riverside park during the event footed by Li Jinyuan and organised by China's U Tour travel company.

U Tour deputy manager Zhang Xilai said the tour for the group of mostly healthcare products salespeople cost €7 million.

The trip comes a year after Li took 6,400 to France. Zhang said fewer went this year because of higher sales targets and stiffer competition in China.

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