When Gravity Payments CEO Dan Price decided to raise his company's minimum wage to $70,000 a year last April, he reduced his own salary to that rate too. 

But although the decision made headlines across the globe, his pay cut meant his dream car was always likely to remain just that - until now. 

Gravity Payment employees surprised their boss on his birthday earlier this month by handing him the keys to the $70,000 Tesla he always wanted, and posted footage of the moment to YouTube. 

An incredulous Mr Price can be seen with tears in his eyes as he thanks employees for the gift.

Gravity Payment's decision to raise its minimum wage was met with scepticism in many quarters, but staff turnover is at historic lows, worker satisfaction is high, and profits have almost doubled, from $3.5m to $6.5m. 

"This is just the ultimate way of saying, ‘Thank you,’" employee Alyssa O’Neal said. "He’s been up to bat for us, so we figured we could do something nice for him."