Alibaba Group co-founder Jack Ma has often been the center of attention during his high-profile career, with the natural entertainer singing to an audience of 60,000 employees while clad in black leather, officiating a mass wedding, and producing and starring in a kung fu film. But after falling foul of regulators in China, the colorful billionaire has sought refuge in the shadows.
Now, revived interest in Ma’s whereabouts has been stoked after it was reported by the Financial Times that he has spent the past six months in Japan, lingering in hot spring resorts and at private members clubs. Since the report, Ma has also reportedly quit as head of a prominent China business group as he continues to shun public appearances.
Once an icon of ambition in China, Ma — who stepped down as chairman of Alibaba in 2019 and reportedly plans to give up control of affiliate Ant Group — has become a symbol of President Xi Jinping’s tightening grip on the tech industry.