Alibaba Bets on Jack Ma’s Comeback to Regain Market Edge

Jack Ma has re-emerged at Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.’s Hangzhou campus with increasing frequency, marking a stark contrast to his absence since late 2020 during China’s antitrust crackdown. The founder’s influence is now palpable, particularly in Alibaba’s aggressive push into artificial intelligence and a brutal price war against rivals JD.com Inc. and Meituan. Insiders reveal Ma endorsed a 50 billion yuan ($7 billion) subsidy plan to counter JD.com’s market incursion.

Though Alibaba’s current leadership, Joe Tsai and Eddie Wu, remains tight-lipped about Ma’s formal role, multiple sources confirm his DEEP involvement. His relentless focus on AI progress—badgering executives for daily updates—underscores Alibaba’s strategic pivot. The return of China’s most iconic entrepreneur signals Beijing’s softening stance toward tech giants, further cemented by Ma’s recent high-profile handshake with President Xi Jinping.

Internally, Ma’s presence has electrified morale, reviving the scrappy ethos of Alibaba’s early days. Yet challenges loom as the company doubles down on subsidies and AI bets to reclaim dominance.