Alibaba's Jack Ma has resurfaced after noticeably vanishing from the spotlight, following criticism of Chinese regulators that led to Ant’s initial public offering pullout and a probe into his tech empire.
China’s most iconic entrepreneur spoke in an online video posted on Chinese social media to address rural teachers as part of one of his charity foundation’s initiatives.
«Every year for the past five years have come to Sanya to recognize our teachers, show gratitude to our teachers and respect our teachers,» Ma said in the video. «This year, we were unable to meet [at Sanya due to the pandemic] but our promised meeting and respect remains unchanged.»
«Jack Ma participated in the online ceremony of the annual Rural Teacher Initiative event on January 20,» confirmed a spokesperson for the Jack Ma Foundation.
Jack Ma's Disappearance
Ma's reemerges for the first time since his disappearance from the public spotlight after criticizing Chinese regulators in his infamous «pawn shop» speech in Shanghai.
Interestingly, the last social media post then by Ma, who started his career as an English teacher, was also related to education and its effect on «how the world views China in the future, determines China’s position in the world, and also determines China’s relationship with the world».
Alibaba's Hong Kong-listed stock price surged to a 2-month high following news of Ma's reemergence.
