Alibaba Corporation founder and Chinese billionaire Jack Ma is not absent but prefers to “keep a low profile,” the American news network CNBC reported today (Tuesday).
David Faber, the network’s economic correspondent, claimed today that he had spoken to a source close to Alibaba Corporation and Lama himself, who said the Chinese billionaire’s location was known and that he chose to “keep a low public profile for now”. The American newspaper The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this week that Ma has not been seen in public since October, a period that is considered very long in terms of the business world and technology.
The last time Alibaba’s founder was spotted, he spoke at the Shanghai Economic Forum and criticized the Chinese government for over-regulation in technology and innovation. Many media outlets around the world have raised various hypotheses linking Ma’s disappearance to Beijing’s outraged response to criticism he has voiced.
In addition to the disappearance of the businessman, the stock exchanges in Shanghai and Hong Kong canceled an initial public offering of the media group “ANT” owned by Ma, which was to open on peak terms. This is a severe blow for the billionaire, which may also be related to the fact that he criticized the government.