Jack Ma
Chinese businessman; co-founder of Alibaba Group
| Jack Ma
| |
|---|---|
| Image | .jpg) Jack Ma |
| Born | 10 September 1964 Hangzhou, China |
| Nationality | China |
| Occupation | Businessman |
| Known for | Co-founder of Alibaba Group; former controlling shareholder of Ant Group |
| Education | Hangzhou Teacher's Institute (BA) |
Ma Yun (born 10 September 1964), known as Jack Ma, is a Chinese businessman. A former English teacher, he co-founded the e-commerce company Alibaba Group in 1999 and stepped down as its executive chairman in 2019.[1][2] In November 2020 Chinese regulators halted the planned stock-market listing of Alibaba's financial affiliate Ant Group after summoning its "ultimate controller" and senior executives for interviews. In December 2023 Ma gave up control of Ant Group's voting rights.[3][2] On 20 October 2026 the Forbes Real-Time Billionaires list ranked Jack Ma 91st in the world, with an estimated net worth of US$26.01 billion; Forbes lists the source of wealth as E-commerce.[1][4] In the annual World's Billionaires list published in 2026, Forbes had ranked Jack Ma 83rd, at US$29.1 billion.[5]
Early life and education
Forbes gives his date and place of birth as 10 September 1964 in Hangzhou and lists a bachelor's degree from the Hangzhou Teacher's Institute. Forbes also says he worked as an English teacher before founding Alibaba.[1]
Alibaba
Alibaba's annual report says its founders first met in Ma's flat in 1999. In 2010 they formalised their arrangement as the Alibaba Partnership, named after the residential estate where the company began.[2] The partnership committee includes Ma, Joe Tsai, Eddie Wu, Fan Jiang and Zeming Wu. Ma and Tsai are its two "continuity" members, who are not subject to re-election.[2] The report also lists Yunfeng Funds, in whose general partners Ma holds minority interests, among Alibaba's related parties.[2] Forbes says Ma stepped down as executive chairman in 2019. It says he returned to China in 2023 after about a year abroad, as Alibaba announced a plan to split into six businesses that was later put on hold.[1]
On 10 April 2021 China's State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) ruled that Alibaba had abused a dominant position by imposing exclusive arrangements on merchants and fined the company RMB 18.2 billion.[2]
Ant Group
Alibaba gave up its interest in and control over the Alipay payment service in early 2011. Its filings say that Ma then held a substantial majority of the equity of Alipay's parent, Ant Group, although its ownership was later restructured.[2] On 3 November 2020 Ant announced that regulators had suspended its planned listing on Shanghai's STAR Market. It said it might no longer meet listing or disclosure requirements because of the regulatory interview of its ultimate controller, executive chairman and chief executive, and because of recent changes in fintech regulation. The planned Hong Kong listing was suspended at the same time.[3] Alibaba says Ant has since completed a business rectification, begun in 2021, in discussion with Chinese regulators.[2]
Ma had controlled the Ant shares held by the entities Junhan and Junao, whose economic interests are held by Ma and by current and former employees, through an agreement with other shareholders of their general partner. That agreement was terminated in December 2023. Alibaba states that as a result Ma no longer controls the majority voting interests that Junhan and Junao hold in Ant, and that no shareholder controls Ant.[2] At 31 March 2026 Junhan and Junao held about 32% and 22% of Ant respectively, and Alibaba held 33%.[2]
Academic roles
On 1 May 2023 Ma joined Tokyo College at the University of Tokyo as a visiting professor. His work there was to include research on sustainable agriculture and food production.[6]
Wealth
Forbes gives e-commerce as the source of his wealth.[1][4]
Wealth history
Forbes has included this entry in its annual World's Billionaires list in 18 of the editions from 2001 to 2026 checked for this profile, starting with 2008. The table gives the rank and estimated net worth in each annual list.[5][1]
| Year | World's Billionaires rank | Net worth (US$ bn) |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 1014 | 1.1 |
| 2010 | 828 | 1.2 |
| 2011 | 782 | 1.6 |
| 2012 | 442 | 2.7 |
| 2013 | 395 | 3.4 |
| 2014 | 122 | 10.0 |
| 2015 | 33 | 22.7 |
| 2016 | 33 | 20.5 |
| 2017 | 23 | 28.3 |
| 2018 | 20 | 39.0 |
| 2019 | 21 | 37.3 |
| 2020 | 17 | 38.8 |
| 2021 | 26 | 48.4 |
| 2022 | 67 | 22.8 |
| 2023 | 63 | 23.5 |
| 2024 | 81 | 24.5 |
| 2025 | 63 | 28.6 |
| 2026 | 83 | 29.1 |
Personal life
Forbes describes him as married and says he owns a vineyard in France.[1]
International and political links
This section uses the same ten headings for every profile in this series. Only specific, sourced actions are included; company-level and foundation-level actions are labelled as such. Where nothing was found, the entry reads "No documented involvement found in sources checked."
Israel (investments, operations, donations, contracts, statements)
No documented involvement found in sources checked.
Zionist or pro-Israel organisations and lobbying groups
No documented involvement found in sources checked.
Jewish communal charities
No documented involvement found in sources checked.
Gulf states
No documented involvement found in sources checked.
China
Named one of the 100 "Reform Pioneers" (改革先锋) at the December 2018 conference marking 40 years of reform and opening-up, cited as an "innovator of the digital economy".[7] Chinese regulators suspended Ant Group's listing in 2020, and SAMR fined Alibaba RMB 18.2 billion in 2021.[3][2]
Russia
No documented involvement found in sources checked.
India
No documented involvement found in sources checked.
Palestinian or Arab causes
No documented involvement found in sources checked.
Home government
No documented involvement found in sources checked.
Other international links
Japan: visiting professor at the University of Tokyo's Tokyo College from 2023.[6] France: Forbes says he owns a vineyard there.[1]
See also
External links
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 Forbes, Forbes profile record for Jack Ma (Forbes data feed behind forbes.com/profile/jack-ma/) Forbes, live record, read 21 October 2026, accessed 21 October 2026.
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 Alibaba Group Holding Limited, Annual report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended 31 March 2026 U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (EDGAR), 2026, accessed 21 October 2026.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Ant Group Co., Ltd., Suspension of the H Share Listing (announcement, stock code 6688) HKEXnews, 3 November 2020, accessed 21 October 2026.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Forbes, Forbes Real-Time Billionaires data feed Forbes, live; downloaded 20 October 2026 11:51 UTC, accessed 20 October 2026.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Forbes, Forbes World's Billionaires list data feed, annual editions 2001–2026 (one file per year at this path with the year substituted; all 26 files downloaded and read) Forbes, annual lists; downloaded 20 October 2026, accessed 20 October 2026.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Tokyo College, University of Tokyo, Visiting Professor MA Yun (Jack MA) Joins Tokyo College Tokyo College, 1 May 2023, accessed 21 October 2026.
- ↑ Xinhua (新华网), 改革先锋名单（100名）(List of 100 Reform Pioneers) 新华网, 18 December 2018, accessed 21 October 2026.