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Jack Ma is best known for co-founding Alibaba Group, a multinational technology conglomerate that fundamentally reshaped retail and commerce in China and beyond. Starting the company in his Hangzhou apartment in 1999 with a group of 18 friends, Ma overcame the dot-com bubble burst to create a digital ecosystem that rivals Amazon and eBay. Unlike many of his technical contemporaries, Ma approached business through the lens of a teacher, prioritizing people and culture over code.
Entrepreneur · Philanthropist
Jack Ma, born Ma Yun, is the visionary co-founder of Alibaba Group who transformed from a humble English teacher into one of the world's most influential tech entrepreneurs. His journey is defined by a philosophy of extreme resilience; having faced rejection from dozens of jobs, including KFC and the police force, he persisted to build a global e-commerce empire. Ma differs from typical tech tycoons by emphasizing "LQ" (Love Quotient) alongside IQ and EQ, arguing that benevolence and empathy are crucial for leadership in the age of AI. He championed the "Iron Triangle" of e-commerce, logistics, and finance to modernize China's economy. Since stepping down from Alibaba, he has dedicated himself to the Jack Ma Foundation, focusing on education, entrepreneurship, and the environment. His legacy lies not just in wealth, but in empowering small businesses to compete globally through digital infrastructure.
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"A leader should have higher endurance and ability to accept and embrace failure."
"A leader should have more grit and tenacity, and be able to endure what the employees can't."
"Alibaba is not just a job. It's a dream. It's a cause."
"Before 30 years old, follow somebody. Go to a small company. Normally, in a big company, it is good to learn processing; you are part of a big machine. But when you go to a small company, you learn the passion, you learn the dreams."
"Customers are number one, employees are number two, and shareholders are number three."
"Don't hire the best. Hire the right."
"Forget about your competitors, just focus on your customers."
"Global trade will start to change from simple exchange of goods to exchange of culture."
"I don't know anything about technology. I know about people."
"If the customer is happy, the business is happy."
"If we are a good team and know what we want to do, one of us can defeat ten of them."
"If you don't give up, you still have a chance. Giving up is the greatest failure."
"If you view everyone as your enemy, everyone around you will be your enemy."
"If you want to be great, you have to think about how you can solve the social problem."
"If you want to win in the 21st century, you have to empower others, making sure other people are better than you."
"I’m not a tech guy. I’m looking at the technology with the eyes of my customers, normal people’s eyes."
"Intelligent people want to lead a happy life. Wise people know how to sacrifice for the future."
"It’s not about money. It’s about dreams. It’s about doing something for the world."
"Machines will never have the wisdom, the soul, and the heart that human beings have."
"My job is to help more people have jobs."
"Never ever compete on prices, instead compete on services and innovation."
"Once in your life, try something. Work hard at something. Try to change. Nothing bad can happen."
"Opportunity lies in the place where the complaints are."
"Philanthropy is not about helping others, it's about waking up yourself."
"Smart people need a fool to lead them. When the team is all a bunch of scientists, it is best to have a peasant lead the way."
"The best assets you have are your young people."
"The most important thing is to make the technology inclusive."
"The very important thing you should have is patience."
"The world is full of opportunities. It is also full of complaints."
"Today is hard, tomorrow will be worse, but the day after tomorrow will be sunshine."
Source: Speech: Stanford University Graduate School of Business
"Trust is the biggest challenge. If you have trust, everything is simple."
"We are never in lack of money. We lack people with dreams, who can die for those dreams."
"We have to teach our kids to be very innovative, very creative. In this way, we can create jobs for our own kids."
"When you are small, you have to be very focused and rely on your brain, not your strength."
"You should learn from your competitor, but never copy. Copy and you die."
Quick answers about Jack Ma.
Jack Ma's work democratized global trade by creating digital platforms that allowed millions of small businesses in China to access international markets. His introduction of digital escrow payments (Alipay) solved the critical issue of trust in online transactions, setting the standard for modern fintech.
Apply Ma's philosophy by viewing rejection not as a failure, but as a necessary training ground for resilience and future success. Prioritize 'LQ' (Love Quotient) in leadership by focusing on empathy and the well-being of your team and customers rather than solely on metrics.
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"Ultimately, Jack Ma represents the possibilities of the internet age, proving that a non-technical teacher with a vision for connection can change the economic trajectory of a nation."