Is this Jack Ma? Billionaire and Alibaba co-founder seen riding bicycle in China's Hangzhou — Viral video
The footage recorded by a woman and posted by an X user named Dott Orikon, shows Ma, known globally for his entrepreneurial prowess, pedaling casually without any visible security around him.
Posted the video, an X user said, 'Although he has retained his position as CEO, his story reminds me of China's Last Emperor, who was pardoned after the revolution (despite collaborating with the Japanese) and became a simple gardener.'
This statement compares Jack Ma to Puyi, China's last emperor. Puyi after losing his imperial power and even collaborating with the Japanese, was eventually pardoned and lived his remaining life humbly by being a gardener.
The video garnered attention from several X users. Some people raised concerns about his safety as he was seen riding on the roads alone at night. The road also appeared quite empty in the posted video.
A user also questioned China's safety, by stating, 'A simple gardener with billions in the bank, is China so safe that billionaires like him don't need body guards?' X user comment on the post
While another user mirrored this concern and said, 'Dangerous to be biking at night.'
Some users also questioned his sudden disappearance, adding in their theories.
A user fueled this thought by stating, 'Unless he can give an interview and have people vouch he is alive, have to assume bad things happened to him.'
Another person said, 'I thought he has disappeared. When did he reappear in public and why did he go missing for a while?'
All the questions about Jack Ma's disappearance emerged after he started maintaining extremely low public life in late 2020 following regulatory crackdowns in China. His reduced visibility was also fueled by his critical comments on China's financial system.
Ma lost more than half of his fortune after the incident, which also caused the suspension of Ant Group's IPO where he had 9.9% stake, according to CNN.
He resigned as the CEO of Alibaba in 2013 and executive chairman in 2019 as he continued to be the largest shareholder of the company.
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