Jack Ma has arrived in Australia, the latest stop in a month-long global entertainment spree and one with particular emotional resonance for the billionaire Alibaba co-founder.
China’s Yicai media outlet quoted unnamed sources as saying the entrepreneur had been seen at a Melbourne hotel in recent days and was later confirmed to be spending time in the country.
Snapshots of the co-founder of Alibaba Group Holding Ltd surfaced on Twitter, although Bloomberg News has not confirmed their authenticity.
While her itinerary is unclear, Ma was close to the Morley family, who played a major role in shaping her future in the 1980s when they invited the then teenager to visit Newcastle, New South Wales. Ma has stayed in touch with the Morley family and in 2017 established a $20 million university scholarship fund named after his late mentor Ken Morley.
Ma has gradually resumed the globetrotting from late 2022 that once defined China’s most famous entrepreneur. They spent time in Tokyo and the Japanese countryside, where they visited eateries and reportedly attended a Muay Thai boxing match, before flying to Thailand. Local media reported that he went to Hong Kong last month to meet finance and technical officials.
The former executive – among China’s most recognizable faces – comes as signs emerge that Beijing is ramping up a campaign to reduce the influence and power of the internet giants. In January, Mack handed over controlling rights to his Ant group company fintech empire, which many observers took as a sign that the punitive crackdown was about to end.
featured video of the day
“Mogambo Happy”: Uddhav Thackeray Taunts Amit Shah Over Army Name Row