Historical Figure
Jack Ma
b. 1964
Chinese business magnate and investor (born 1964)
Hear Their Voice
Original recordings and AI voice
"Davos 2015: Lots of Failures and Rejections" — January 23, 2015
Generated by Today in History
Talk to Jack Ma
Have a conversation with this historical figure through AI
Biography
Ma Yun, also known as Jack Ma, is a Chinese businessman and philanthropist. He is the founder of the Jack Ma Foundation, and co-founder of Alibaba Group and Yunfeng Capital. As of May 2025, Ma's net worth was estimated at US$27.2 billion.
Timeline
The story of Jack Ma, told in moments.
Born Ma Yun in Hangzhou, China. Failed the national college entrance exam twice. Rejected from dozens of jobs, including KFC, where 23 of 24 applicants got hired. He didn't.
Visited the U.S. and used the internet for the first time. Searched "beer" and found no Chinese results. Came home and started China Pages, one of China's first internet companies.
Founded Alibaba in his Hangzhou apartment with 17 friends and $60,000. The name was chosen because it was globally recognizable. The company nearly ran out of money twice in the first year.
Alibaba went public on the New York Stock Exchange. Raised $25 billion, the largest IPO in history at the time. Ma became the richest person in China overnight.
Publicly criticized Chinese financial regulators. The Ant Group IPO was suspended days later. Ma disappeared from public view for nearly three months. When he resurfaced, he'd lost his outspoken edge.
In Their Own Words (7)
Young people will have the seeds you bury in their minds and when they grow up they will change the world.
"5 Life Lessons From Alibaba Founder Jack Ma", Time (Sept. 23, 2014), 2014
You should learn from your competitor, but never copy. Copy and you die.
, Spotlight: Jack Ma, co-founder of Alibaba.com - Business - International Herald Tribune, by SONIA KOLESNIKOV-JESSOPJAN. 5, 2007 (The New York Times), 2007
In 2001, we went to raise some $3 million in venture capital in the U.S. and got rejected. So we’ve come back and raised a little bit more: $25 billion. This is not money; this is trust from the world, trust from the people.
Charlie Rose Talks to Alibaba's Jack Ma, Bloomberg, 2001
If you don’t give up, You still have a Chance to Win. Giving up is a Great Failure.
Jack Ma Quotes That Will Change Your Life Forever
I think that you, american people, worry too much about the China economy, [...] Every time you start to worry about the China economy, China goes better.
: 6 minutes 08 seconds into the video
Artifacts (15)
Jack Hinton, the guardsman (IA jackhintonguards00leverich)
Lever, Charles James, 1806-1872
The quilt that Jack built; How he won the bicycle (IA quiltthatjackbui00john)
Johnston, Annie F. (Annie Fellows), 1863-1931
The adventures of Mr. Ledbury and his friend Jack Johnson (IA adventuresofmrle00smit)
Smith, Albert, 1816-1860
The adventures of Mr. Ledbury and his friend Jack Johnson (IA adventuresofmrle00smit 0)
Smith, Albert, 1816-1860
Good stories, top direction, production quality
asked how Reagan was able to recruit such stars to appear on the show during television's infancy, he replied, "Good stories, top direction, production quality". However, the viewership declined in...
knew that governments don't control things. And they knew when a government sets...
or presidential contender Barry Goldwater that was eventually referred to as "A Time for Choosing". Reagan argued that the Founding Fathers "knew that governments don't control things. And they knew...
More from the Postwar
Explore what happened on the days that shaped Jack Ma's life. Today In History connects historical figures with the events, births, and deaths that defined their era. Browse all historical figures or explore today's events.