The world's attention is on Jack Ma's where he was after reports noted that the billionaire founder of Alibaba and Ant Group had been absent from public view since late October.
On October 24, Ma made heated remarks against China's financial system to an audience of high-ranking officials. A few days later, Chinese authorities abruptly stopped Ant's initial public offering, an act believed to be related to Ma's controversial speech. The Chinese government later told the fintech giant, which had thrived in a relatively lax regulatory environment, to "rectify "its business under the law. Ant's future hangs in the air.
At the same time, Chinese regulators launched an unprecedented investigation into Alibaba for suspected monopoly behavior.
But he's known for his outspoken personality and love of the limelight, so it's no surprise that his passing from recent events, including the final episode of an African television show he created, is sparking widespread rumors. From economists to reporters, the Twitter world has tuned in:
Chinese billionaire Jack Ma disappeared after criticizing the Chinese government. Wow. It would be as if the US government kidnapped Jeff Bezos or Mark Zuckerberg to teach them a lesson. https://t.co/AREly0Ba7M
- Matt Stoller (@matthewstoller) January 4, 2021
Where is the Chinese billionaire Jack Ma? He hasn't made a public appearance in 2 months. He criticized Chinese regulators and state-owned banks in Shanghai in October. https://t.co/SyIZZOYMqn
- Smita Prakash (@smitaprakash) January 4, 2021
"As for Africa's Business Heroes competition, Mr. Ma had to skip the finale due to a planned conflict," an Alibaba spokesperson said.
Although the Chinese equivalent of Twitter Weibo didn't block the search for "Missing Jack Ma", the posts that surfaced barely have a similar or reposted one. Elsewhere on the Chinese internet, users are speculating within WeChat groups that Ma has been "vanished" or fled the country.
It is worth noting that Ma has long since stepped back from day-to-day operations at Alibaba. In September 2019, he officially handed over his helm as company president to his successor Daniel Zhang. That said, the billionaire still holds significant influence on the e-commerce business as a lifetime partner at the so-called Alibaba Partnership, a group of senior executives who can appoint a majority of the directors on the board.
It is not unusual to see Chinese tycoons choosing to remain low in difficult times. After Richard Liu was accused of rape, the flamboyant founder of JD.com, the Alibaba archivist, missed a key political event in China last year. Tencent founder Pony Ma, who already keeps a low profile, has been absent from public opinion for about a year, even though the cause is his chronic "back problems," a source told ProWellTech, and the boss. technology has been making virtual appearances at events by sending voice messages over the past year.
