Meet the professor, who built USD 224.88 billion e-commerce site, his net worth is...

Jack Ma is one of the most well-known figures in the world of business, renowned for co-founding Alibaba Group, one of the largest e-commerce companies globally. Despite his immense success, his journey to the top was not very easy. Ma was born in September 1964 in Hangzhou, China. He faced initial challenges, failing the college entrance exam twice before eventually enrolling at Hangzhou Teachers College.

Ma's determination and self-driven nature propelled him forward. He taught himself English at a young age and practiced it by offering free guided tours to US visitors and listening to Voice of America broadcasts. His proficiency in English opened doors, leading to a part-time job as an interpreter for Chinese and American businessmen in 1995. It was during a visit to a friend's house in Seattle that Ma encountered his first computer and the internet, sparking his interest.

In 1999, Ma founded Alibaba.com, a B2B marketplace, with the support of 18 co-founders who contributed $60,000. The platform rapidly gained popularity, reaching one million users by 2002. Building on this success, Ma expanded Alibaba's presence in the consumer market by creating Taobao.com, a retail site, and Alipay, an online payment platform.

To further strengthen Alibaba's position, Ma sought a partnership with a search engine partner and connected with Jerry Yang, the co-founder of Yahoo. In 2005, Yahoo purchased a 40 percent stake in Alibaba Group for $1 billion. However, tensions arose as Alibaba thrived while Yahoo faced challenges from competitors like Google. Ma attempted to buy back the stake from Yahoo but was unsuccessful.

Complications continued when Ma transferred Alipay to a separate company under his control in 2011 to secure an operating license for online payments. This move caused disagreements with Yahoo, who claimed the transfer diluted their investment. Following negotiations, Ma decided to pay Yahoo $7.1 billion in 2012 for their stake in Alibaba.

Alibaba's initial public offering in 2014 marked a significant milestone, becoming the world's largest IPO. Despite his success, Ma stepped down as Alibaba CEO in 2013 and later as chairman in 2019. Alongside his business endeavors, Ma remains committed to education and has expressed his desire to return to teaching in the future.

As of Forbes' rankings, Jack Ma holds the 66th position among the world's richest individuals, with a net worth of $34.5 billion. He is also regarded as the sixth-richest person in China. Ma has established his position as a leading corporate personality globally with his entrepreneurial spirit, tenacity, and contributions to the e-commerce industry. As of now, according to the profile page on the university's website, Jack Ma, the co-founder of Alibaba Group Holding, has joined the University of Tokyo's Tokyo College as a visiting professor.

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