Where Is Jack Ma, China’s Nonconformist Entrepreneur?

Fifty-six-year-old Jack Ma is without a doubt the world’s best-known Chinese entrepreneur. The former English teacher notably founded the Alibaba.com e-commerce website, which launched in 1999. This quickly became China’s answer to Amazon – an immense online retail platform, which alone represents almost 80% of the country’s e-commerce.

Drawing heavily on the codes of Silicon Valley, Jack Ma launched into the new technological El Dorado that was the internet in the mid-1990s. In 1995, he was already behind one of China’s first internet companies, China Pages.

As well as Alibaba, Jack Ma currently helms Ant Group, a powerful online bank, and Aliexpress.com, an international e-commerce site promising discount prices. He has purchased the South China Morning Post newspaper and has a stake in the multimedia group, Huayi Brothers (movies, TV, music). He also owns a vineyard in Bordeaux, France, and the eccentric fan of kung fu and pop music is a frequent guest on TV shows. France even named him a Chevalier de la Légion d’honneur in 2016.

Back in 2018, the billionaire’s Communist bona fides were revealed by the People’s Daily, the party’s official mouthpiece, in an article praising contributors to China’s development. Although, he is not the first nor likely the last Chinese super-rich capitalist to join the party, which counts property titan Xu Jiayin and Wanda Group founder Wang Jianlin among its billionaire members. But Ma’s membership had not been widely known until China’s richest man had previously suggested that he preferred to stay out of politics.

Then in 2019, Jack Ma stepped down as chairman of Alibaba to focus on using his wealth to help others through several philanthropy projects, particularly in education. His most recent public appearance dates back to October 24, 2020, when he gave a speech criticising the government attitude towards Chinese fintech businesses. Since then, Jack Ma has not been seen in public, and his “disappearance” has prompted much speculation … and concern.