Jack Ma, China’s most famous entrepreneur and the co-founder of Alibaba Group, has re-emerged with renewed vigor after years of retreat from the spotlight. Once viewed as sidelined by regulatory crackdowns and shifting political winds in China, Ma is now staging a comeback that many see as a turning point not just for Alibaba, but for China’s broader technology sector.
With a renewed vision, Ma is rallying Alibaba around its founding ethos of innovation and competitiveness. His mission: to “make Alibaba great again” by doubling down on artificial intelligence, global expansion, and cutting-edge consumer technology.
A Return Few Expected
For much of the past three years, Ma maintained a low profile, traveling overseas and distancing himself from Alibaba’s day-to-day operations. His retreat coincided with Beijing’s sweeping crackdown on China’s internet giants, a campaign that clipped the wings of companies seen as growing too powerful. 
But in recent months, Ma has reappeared in Hangzhou, Alibaba’s home city, meeting with executives, engineers, and investors. His presence is more than symbolic. Insiders say he is again shaping strategy, mentoring younger leaders, and pushing Alibaba to adopt the same boldness that helped it grow into China’s largest e-commerce and cloud computing company.
Betting Big on AI
At the heart of Ma’s comeback strategy is artificial intelligence. Like rivals Amazon and Microsoft, Alibaba sees AI as both a driver of efficiency across its platforms and a transformative business opportunity in its own right.
Alibaba’s cloud division has been tasked with rolling out AI-powered services tailored to Chinese enterprises, from logistics optimization to generative AI assistants. Meanwhile, Ma has reportedly urged Alibaba’s consumer platforms — Taobao and Tmall — to integrate AI features that personalize shopping experiences and anticipate customer needs.
“Alibaba must lead, not follow,” Ma told a group of senior managers, according to people familiar with the meeting. “The next decade belongs to those who harness AI at scale.”
Reviving the Culture of Risk
One of Ma’s criticisms of Alibaba in recent years has been its drift toward bureaucracy and risk aversion. The company, once seen as scrappy and fast-moving, had become slower to respond to competitors like JD.com and Pinduoduo, both of which have gained significant market share.
Now, Ma is pushing Alibaba to rediscover its entrepreneurial DNA. He has encouraged internal “startup teams” to experiment with new business models, echoing the company’s early days when bold ideas were tested quickly and scaled aggressively.
Global Expansion Back on the Table
Ma’s vision also stretches beyond China. With geopolitical tensions complicating expansion in the US, Alibaba is turning its focus toward Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Africa — fast-growing markets with younger populations and rising e-commerce penetration.
Platforms like Lazada, in which Alibaba has a controlling stake, are being groomed to spearhead the company’s overseas ambitions. In addition, Alibaba is exploring partnerships in regions where demand for Chinese cloud services, fintech solutions, and logistics capabilities is surging.
Symbol of a Sector’s Resilience
Ma’s return is being closely watched not only because of its implications for Alibaba, but also for what it says about the future of China’s tech industry. After years of uncertainty, some investors see Ma’s renewed role as a sign that Beijing may be signaling greater tolerance for private sector leadership, particularly as China grapples with sluggish economic growth.
“The fact that Jack Ma is back in the arena is significant,” said one Asia-based fund manager. “It suggests China’s leadership wants to see its biggest companies strong again, and no one embodies that ambition more than Ma.”
Risks Ahead
Still, Alibaba’s path forward is far from risk-free. Competition in Chinese e-commerce remains cutthroat, with rivals innovating rapidly on low-cost, high-frequency shopping models. Meanwhile, Alibaba’s cloud division must fend off rivals such as Huawei and Tencent, both of which are ramping up AI investments.
Geopolitics, too, looms large. Expanding globally will require Alibaba to navigate rising protectionism and scrutiny of Chinese technology companies abroad.
The Legacy at Stake
For Jack Ma, this comeback is as much about personal legacy as corporate strategy. Having built Alibaba into one of the world’s most valuable companies, his absence had fueled speculation that his influence in China’s business world was waning. By returning at a moment of uncertainty, Ma is not only positioning Alibaba for its next chapter but also reaffirming his own status as one of the most consequential entrepreneurs of the 21st century.
As he puts it, Alibaba’s mission is not just to sell products or build platforms — it is to empower small businesses, embrace innovation, and help shape the global digital economy. Whether the company can truly “be great again” will depend on how far Ma’s vision can inspire both employees and investors in a fast-changing world.
