Ma, who has been low-profile and invisible, is suspected of showing up late at night at a bar recently. (Web screenshot)
Ma Yun, who has been constantly purged, was recently suspected to show up in a bar. Netizens found that Jack Ma has obviously gained a lot of weight, his face swollen a circle. He was followed by a number of strong men in black with serious expressions as they looked around.
According to Oriental Daily News on April 21, a photo of Jack Ma appearing in a bar has recently been circulating on the mainland internet. The photo shows Jack Ma wearing a black short-sleeved T-shirt, sitting in the middle of a long table, eating and chatting with friends.
(Web screenshot)
After announcing his retirement in 2019, Jack Ma and his friends set up a bar named “HHB”. As of June 2020, Ma’s “HHB Bar” has opened six stores in Shanghai and Hangzhou. Netizens probably ran into Jack Ma at his own bar.
Ma looked very relaxed, talking with his friends and gesturing while talking. However, Ma obviously gained a lot of weight, the whole face swollen a circle. However, the authenticity of the video in question is yet to be verified.
(Web screenshot)
A mainland netizen described it as “Ma appeared in a hotel bursting with 10 pounds (5 kg)”, which shows the drastic change in Ma’s figure.”
Ma, who has been invisible since being purged by the authorities, suddenly showed up at a bar, causing a lot of internet buzz. Many netizens found it strange and thought Ma should not be in this state. Others said, “Is Ma out to vent? Or what is going on?
It is worth mentioning that behind Jack Ma, stood several strong men in black, all expressionless, not like people who come to the bar to play. One of them even stared at Ma Yun, did not leave. There is speculation that these people are Ma’s bodyguards.
(Web screenshot)
However, there are also analyses that the identity of these people may not be so simple, it is likely that the authorities sent to watch over Jack Ma, called bodyguards, but in fact, to prevent him from accidents or fleeing.
According to sources familiar with the matter, Alibaba and Ant Group, both founded by Jack Ma, have been pressured by the authorities to cut ties with him. The Wall Street Journal said it was clear that the authorities intended for the companies to follow the party, rather than the companies’ founders.
On April 17, Reuters quoted multiple sources as saying that the Communist Party regulator released a signal for Ma to quit when it interviewed Ant Group.
A source with ties to Ant Group said Ant Group wants Ma’s shares to be sold to existing shareholders, or to Alibaba Group Holding Ltd, with no outside entities involved.
Another source said Ant Group began working on a plan for Ma’s possible exit about a few months ago. The Communist Party regulator told Ma that he would have to withdraw completely and would not be allowed to sell his stake to any entity or individual with close ties to him.
The source added that another option for Ma would be to transfer his stake to a Chinese investor with ties to the government.
Ma holds a 10 percent stake in Ant Group, but through Hangzhou Yunbo, Ma controls two other entities that together own 50.5 percent of Ant, according to Ant’s IPO prospectus. The prospectus shows that Yunbo can decide all matters related to Ant and exercise the combined voting rights of the three entities.
Ant Group denies this, but Reuters believes that the account provided by the source matches what has been going on for the past few months.
Previously, Chinese Communist Party officials had ordered Alibaba to disassociate itself from its “casual-talking founder,” Jack Ma, in order to receive more moderate treatment than Ant Group.
The Wall Street Journal revealed on March 11 that Chinese authorities are considering issuing record fines against Alibaba and are considering requiring it to sell its physical businesses outside the Internet.
The sources also revealed that there is a prerequisite for Alibaba to eventually receive “soft treatment. Ali must “draw a clear line” with its founder, Jack Ma, and follow the Communist Party line closely.
The Ant Group logo.
The Alibaba Group logo.
On April 10, authorities issued an 18.2 billion yuan fine against Alibaba. Following Alibaba’s fine, Ant Group was officially interviewed again on April 12 and listed five major rectification requirements for Ant.
Ant Group said it has completed the research and development of the rectification plan, and Ant Group will apply for the establishment of a financial holding company as a whole to realize the financial business all under supervision.
On April 14, Jack Ma, who has been in a state of invisibility, made a rare appearance at a video conference hosted by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
However, during the nearly 2-hour meeting, he did not speak throughout, and only occasionally picked up his cup of tea to drink tea. The Chinese tycoon, who used to love to speak in public, has been judged as two people before.
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