Jack Ma
Jack Ma Yun is a Chinese business magnate, investor and philanthropist. He is the co-founder of Alibaba Group, a multinational technology conglomerate. In addition, Ma is also the co-founder of Yunfeng Capital, a Chinese private equity firm. As of February 2024, with a net worth of $30.1 billion, Ma is the sixth-wealthiest person in China, as well as the 50th wealthiest person in the world, ranked by Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
Some of the key events about Jack Ma
- 1988Graduated from Hangzhou Normal University with a BA in English
- 1995Founded China Pages, one of China's first internet companies
- 1999Co-founded Alibaba Group, an e-commerce and technology company
- 1999Faced criticism for promoting a "996" work culture (9am to 9pm, 6 days a week) in Chinese tech companies
- 2003Established Taobao, a consumer-to-consumer online marketplace
- 2004Created Alipay, now one of China's largest online payment platforms
- 2009Launched Alibaba Cloud, a cloud computing service
- 2011Involved in a controversy over the transfer of ownership of Alipay from Alibaba to a separate entity he controlled
- 2014Led Alibaba's initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange, raising $25 billion
- 2015Acquired the South China Morning Post, a Hong Kong-based English-language newspaper
- 2015Criticized for purchasing the South China Morning Post, raising concerns about potential influence on media independence
- 2017Launched a $10 million fund to support African entrepreneurs
- 2017Faced backlash for comments suggesting automation could lead to shorter workweeks, which some viewed as out of touch
- 2018Criticized for endorsing the controversial Chinese work practice of "996" as a "huge blessing"
- 2019Stepped down as executive chairman of Alibaba to focus on philanthropic efforts
- 2020Publicly criticized Chinese financial regulators, leading to the suspension of Ant Group's IPO
- 2020Disappeared from public view for several months following regulatory crackdown, sparking speculation and concern
- 2021Stepped down as chairman of Alibaba's partnership committee amid increased government scrutiny
- 2021Alibaba was fined a record $2.8 billion for antitrust violations under his leadership
- 2023Gave up control of Ant Group amid ongoing regulatory pressure from Chinese authorities
Disclaimer: This material is written based on information taken from open sources, including Wikipedia, news media, podcasts, and other public sources.