Jack Ma

Jack Ma was born Ma Yun on September 10, 1964, in Hangzhou, China, into modest circumstances during the Cultural Revolution era. He faced numerous early setbacks, including repeated failures in school entrance exams and rejections from over 30 jobs, notably being turned down by KFC and police positions. Undeterred, he taught English at a local university while discovering the internet during a 1995 trip to the US, inspiring him to create China Pages, one of China's first internet companies. In 1999, Ma rallied 18 friends in his apartment to found Alibaba, an online marketplace aimed at connecting small Chinese businesses globally, starting with no funding or experience but strong belief in the internet's potential. Early challenges persisted, but strategic moves like partnering with Yahoo in 2005 and launching Taobao—a free-listing platform tailored to Chinese consumers—propelled growth, surpassing eBay in China by 2006. He later introduced Alipay for secure payments, expanding Alibaba into a tech conglomerate. By 2014, Alibaba's New York IPO raised a record $25 billion, cementing Ma's status as a billionaire and global icon. He stepped down as CEO in 2013 and executive chairman in 2019 amid regulatory scrutiny in China, shifting focus to philanthropy via the Jack Ma Foundation, education, and environmental causes. As of 2025, he maintains a low profile but occasionally comments on Alibaba's AI strategies and business evolution.