Billionaire Jack Ma fell out of favor with the Chinese government and withdrew from the country amid the pandemic. Now, after visiting South America, he returned to visit a school that he founded.
Jack M a , known for founding Alibaba , one of the largest companies in the world, returned to China after more than a year outside the Asian country due to pressure applied by the Xi Jinping government.
The billionaire businessman reappeared in the last few hours at a school he founded in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, called Yungu Education.
The news was shared through the institution’s WeChat account, where photographs were shown, as well as a video without audio of Ma.
WATCH: Alibaba founder Jack Ma has returned to China after spending more than a year overseas. He resurfaced at a school he founded in Hangzhou. Alibaba shares jumped more than 4% after news of Ma’s return broke before giving up some of its gains https://t.co/qqvVZDDWKg pic.twitter.com/yCle96YSzg
— Reuters Business (@ReutersBiz) March 28, 2023
far from the country
Jack Ma was China ‘s most successful businessman , but his criticism of the country’s regulatory system prompted a government crackdown.
Noting that the country was run “like a pawnshop,” Beijing began investigating Alibaba “for alleged anti-competitive behavior ,” while Ant Group, a financial technology company about to go public on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange Kong and Shanghai, was placed under review of its activities.
For this reason, at the end of 2021 the businessman left the country to avoid persecution, being seen through photos in countries such as Japan, Australia and Thailand. In recent days, he has even visited Uruguay, where he is evaluating new businesses such as the meat industry.
His return to the country is being taken as an example of “peace” between the government and the businessmen of multiple national giants, who were also harmed by Xi Jinping’s campaign.