Alibaba’s CEO Jack Ma has vanished from the public eye since October 24, which has become a cause for concern. Notably, he had commented on Chinese President Xi Jinping just before going missing. He has been called the loudest billionaire more than once for being vocal about his views.
He had been heavily critical of China’s “pawnshop financial regulators and state-owned banks.” “Today’s financial system is the legacy of the Industrial Age. We must set up a new one for the next generation and young people. We must reform the current system,” Ma said in the speech. According to The Wall Street Journal, officials in Beijing dressed down Ma and suspended the $37billion initial public offering of his Ant Group on the direct order of President Xi in November.
He went on to call for reforms in the regulation system, and called out on the government’s policies, saying that they were stifling the growth of Chinese businesses. Shortly after, he was advised against voicing concerns about the Communist government’s policy decisions.
Following this, he was set to appear as a judge in the final episode of his own talent show, ‘Africa’s Business Heroes’, but mysteriously did not turn up for it and as a consequence, his photographs were removed from the show’s website, The Telegraph, UK, reported. “Due to a schedule conflict Mr Ma could no longer be part of the finale judge panel of Africa’s Business Heroes earlier this year (2020),” an Alibaba spokesperson was quoted as saying.