Jack Ma, the elusive founder of Chinese tech giant Alibaba, was found in Tokyo after having seemingly gone missing for six months.
Ma, 58, one of China’s richest men, was once a very public figure until he publicly criticized Chinese regulators two years ago. He has since become a reclusive figure, rarely seen in public, culminating in a six-month period in which his whereabouts were unknown, leading to speculation that he had been forcibly disappeared by the Chinese Communist Party. However, according to a report from the Financial Times, Ma has actually been living out a peaceful existence in Tokyo for the past six months, devoting his time to watercolor painting.
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Those with direct knowledge of Ma’s whereabouts told the outlet that Ma’s social life is contained to his family, personal servants, and a few close-knit Chinese social clubs. He often visits hot springs and ski resorts in Tokyo’s surroundings and takes regular trips to Israel and the United States.
Others speculate that he is secretly building up new business ventures, expanding his brand and reach outside of China. However, his most public brand, the Jack Ma Foundation, has gone mostly silent.
Ma’s absence from China coincided with extreme repression under Xi Jinping’s rule over the last six months, characterized by his draconian “zero COVID-19” policy, which has recently led to mass protests against the government.
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Ma was on the good side of Xi for most of his career until an October 2020 speech in which he bashed Chinese regulators, in the presence of Xi himself, the Wall Street Journal reported. The result was a state crackdown on Ma’s businesses, ushering in a reclusive period for the entrepreneur. The past six months also saw renewed pressure on Alibaba from regulators.
