Alibaba’s Jack Ma Makes First Public Appearance Since October
Jack Ma, Missing For Months, Makes First Public Appearance Since China Crackdown
Alibaba and Ant co-founder Jack Ma has resurfaced after months out of public view. The Millionaire has been missing from public view ever since a crackdown by China. Social media speculation about the whereabouts of China’s highest-profile entrepreneur was at an all-time high. But his recent appearance has put an end to them.
The Jack Ma Foundation said that Ma participated in the online ceremony of the annual Rural Tea Rural Teacher Initiative event on Wednesday. He addressed the teachers as part of an annual event to recognize the achievements of rural educators. Ma, who used to be an English teacher wished the teachers via a video conference.
Ma, who used to be an English teacher and founder of #Alibaba, also gives wishes to village teachers via a video on Wednesday, saying usually the activity is held in Sanya in southern Hainan but this year, due to #Covid19 it has to be done via video conference. pic.twitter.com/yfi7oPB5Sb
— Qingqing_Chen (@qingqingparis) January 20, 2021
His appearance, first reported in a local blog, was later confirmed by the Jack Ma Foundation to Reuters. Dressed in a navy pullover, Mr Ma, told the teachers, “after Covid-19, we’ll meet each other again.”
Ma had not appeared in public since a late-October forum in Shanghai ever since he slammed China’s regulatory system. Subsequently, a series of actions had been taken against Mr Ma’s companies inc. It had also led to the suspension of a $37-billion IPO of Alibaba’s financial affiliate Ant Group.
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