The founder of Alibaba, China’s largest online shopping mall, has turned into a visiting professor at the University of Tokyo in Japan. In October 2020, after criticizing China’s outdated financial regulations by comparing them to “pawnbroker sales,” he escaped the eyes of the authorities and has been traveling around the world, including Japan, the Netherlands, Thailand, Israel, and Australia. In addition to the University of Tokyo, he was also selected as an honorary professor at the University of Hong Kong and Tel Aviv University in Israel, so it is not realistically easy to return to management. Analysts are raised that his entrepreneurial career, which still has not escaped from the CCP’s ‘controversial crime’, is virtually over.
According to the Asahi Shimbun on the 2nd, the University of Tokyo announced on the 1st that “Win Ma was invited as a visiting professor at Tokyo College, an affiliated research institute.” He introduced that he will advise and participate in research on sustainable agriculture and food production, and will also hold seminars on entrepreneurship and innovation.
Ma was also appointed as an emeritus professor at the University of Hong Kong last month. The University of Hong Kong said Ma will conduct research on finance, agriculture and business innovation over the next three years, ending in March 2026. In addition to this, Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported recently that he was also chosen as an honorary professor of innovation and technology at Tel Aviv University in Israel. It is interpreted as a move that reflects his career as an English teacher before starting his business.
After remarks on pawnshop sales, Jack Ma and Alibaba faced a massive withdrawal from the Chinese authorities. China has abruptly suspended the Hong Kong stock exchange of ‘Ant Group’, a fintech affiliate of Alibaba, which was scheduled for the end of 2020. There was even an analysis that if the listing took place, Ma would instantly become the world’s richest person, but it was canceled. In April 2021, the authorities also imposed a fine of 18.2 billion yuan (about 3.4744 trillion won), the largest ever, on Alibaba for violating the Monopoly Law. After that, when he did not appear in public for a long time, rumors of his arrest and house arrest circulated.
Ma also lost his position as a controlling shareholder of the Ant Group in January of this year. The Ant Group virtually excluded Ma from management, saying they would reduce his voting rights from more than 50% in the past to 6.2%. Two months later, Alibaba also announced that it would split the company into six divisions. The dominant analysis is that this is also a measure to reduce Jack Ma’s influence on Alibaba.
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Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.