In September, payments firm Block Inc. gathered 8,000 of its employees from around the globe to California for an extravaganza celebrating the company’s 16th birthday. The three-day affair took place at the Oakland Coliseum and Arena and had the air of a music festival rather than a corporate event, with a nighttime DJ set by Anderson .Paak. Among the highlights: Block founder Jack Dorsey, clad in a black T-shirt with a chain necklace, held a chat on stage with hip-hop superstar Jay-Z, a Block board member. The event cost the company over $60 million. Six months later, Dorsey announced plans…

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