Jack Ma Returns to Rally Troops as Alibaba’s Troubles Deepen

Founder urges employees to help company ‘correct its course’
Ma weighs in with a rare comment on internal message board

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By Jane Zhang, Sarah Zheng, and Zheping Huang

November 29, 2023 at 4:00 PM UTC

Updated on

November 30, 2023 at 4:14 AM UTC

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China’s most famous entrepreneur broke years of silence about Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. with a call to arms for employees, following years of brutal government punishment and strategic missteps that cost the e-commerce pioneer its place as leader of the country’s tech industry.

Jack Ma, the once-outspoken billionaire who stayed out of public view after clashing with Beijing, took to an internal message board to urge Alibaba to “correct its course” and lauded rival PDD Holdings Inc., which has been swiping market share. He expressed confidence the 220,000-plus staff can return to their success of the past with determination and hard work.