Jack Ma to Step Down as President of Academy He Founded, FT Says

  • Move came amid Beijing’s crackdown on Ma’s influence
  • Hupan University is changing name and curriculum, paper says
Jack MaPhotographer: Marlene Awaad/Bloomberg
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Jack Ma will step down as president of Hupan University, an elite business academy he co-founded six years ago, amid pressure from Beijing, the Financial Times reported.

The move comes as Chinese authorities crack down on the influence of the billionaire co-founder of Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., the newspaper said, citing people familiar with the matter. Ma abruptly fell from grace after blasting financial regulators in a public speech last October. Since then, his highly-anticipated initial public offering by Ant Group Co. has been put on hold, and Ma has largely stayed out of public view.