Signs of life of Jack Ma – founder of Alibaba emerges from obscurity

Chinese entrepreneur Jack Ma, who is also popular in the West, would be in Tokyo with his family, the Financial Times reported this week.

Ma is the founder of e-commerce giant Alibaba and was considered the richest in China as of 2020. Then the regime in Beijing took action against the most powerful and wealthiest businessmen in their own country.

This article explores what exactly is behind Ma’s flight abroad and what he is planning next.

Why did he secretly leave China?

In October 2020, the founder of Alibaba gave a highly publicized speech in Shanghai, criticizing China’s financial regulatory system. His public statements angered authorities and led to intense government scrutiny of his operations and a wider crackdown on technology companies in the country.

In November 2020, Chinese regulators blocked the planned IPO of Alibaba subsidiary Ant Group. The Chinese company operates the online payment service Alipay, among other things, and is regarded as the most valuable ‘unicorn’ (start-up) in the world.

Then Ma disappeared from the scene.

In the spring of 2021, the Chinese regime ordered Alibaba to sell some of its media holdings, including Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post,

In the summer of 2021, Chinese president and dictator Xi Jinping announced the consistent implementation of a socialist concept dating back to revolutionary leader Mao Zedong (†1976): it is called “Shared Prosperity” and allows the rich to share their wealth with the arms must. The goal is to build an egalitarian China by “increasing the share of middle-income groups,” the Time reported.

That same summer, Jack Ma was photographed playing golf in Mallorca. His visit to the Mediterranean island attracted a lot of attention as it was the first trip outside of China since his disappearance in 2020.

What is he doing in Japan?

Also in the summer of 2022, the “Zen” was in front of Mallorca, according to Spanish media reports.

Now Ma has resurfaced in Tokyo, the Financial Times reported Tuesday, citing people who had direct knowledge of his whereabouts.

According to the report, the multi-billionaire has been living in Tokyo for almost half a year, but he keeps a low profile and mainly makes contacts in several private clubs.

He also spent his time in Japan visiting hot springs and ski resorts with his family. And he made regular trips to the United States and Israel, the report said.

Why was he in the Netherlands and what does he want in the Gobi desert?

As early as July, a public sign of life was recorded by the Chinese, who are valued as critical thinkers and benefactors. The 58-year-old was photographed during a visit to a Dutch research and education institute. A report has been published on the Wageningen University website.

The report states that Ma wanted a delegation to understand “the possibilities of sustainable livestock farming and fisheries”. And: He wants to be “fully” committed to agriculture and the sustainable production of food, “also in the Gobi desert”.

It is not exactly known what Ma is up to in the arid region of Central Asia (Mongolia/People’s Republic of China).

In March 2022, the Chinese government announced plans to build massive solar and wind power plants in the desert. Planned total power: 450 gigawatts.

How rich is mom (still)?

The push for redistribution launched by the Chinese government in 2021 hit technology and real estate companies and caused the wealth of the richest people to collapse, writes “Business Insider”.

Jack Ma Net Worth is about $61 billion as of October 2020. It is now valued at $30 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. This is also because the share price of Alibaba has fallen by about 75 percent since the peak (2020).

The British Guardian notes:

Ma resigned as chairman of Alibaba in 2019. He still serves on the board of directors of the Jack Ma Foundation, a charitable foundation he founded.

Sources

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