Chinese billionaire entrepreneur Jack Ma to teach at Japanese university

After his troubles with the Chinese power, Jack Ma had then disappeared from the radar before starting to make some discreet appearances, always outside China. REUTERS - Aly Song

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Jack Ma, Chinese billionaire founder of the giant Alibaba, took his first steps on May 1 at the University of Tokyo, Japan. He landed a position as a visiting professor, and it's not the first time. At the end of April, it was the business school of the University of Hong Kong that announced the arrival of the entrepreneur in its ranks. In 2019, he handed over the management of his group to focus on other activities, mainly outside China.

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At the University of Tokyo where he made his entrance, Jack Ma - former professor of English - will share his knowledge in entrepreneurship and innovation. The institution also announced that it would participate in research in the field of sustainable agriculture and food production. A new position in Japan that takes him a little further away from his native country.

His relations with the Chinese government deteriorated in 2020, when Jack Ma criticized public authorities for financial regulations, calling for a healthier system.

Discreet apparitions

This remark earned him at the time a summons by the regime, and sanctions at the key: Alibaba was fined a week later of nearly two billion dollars for alleged unfair practices, and its subsidiary Ant Group, which was to be listed on the stock exchange in Hong Kong with the approval of the Chinese authorities, was suddenly forced to cancel its operation on the grounds that it did not meet regulatory requirements.

After his troubles with the Chinese power, Jack Ma had then disappeared from the radar before starting to make some discreet appearances, always outside China. According to the Financial Times, the 58-year-old businessman now lives in Japan and devotes himself to philanthropic activities and therefore returns to teaching.

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• China
• Japan
• Economy