Jack Ma becomes a teacher again. Here's all about his latest job

Alibaba founder Jack Ma has become an honorary professor of business at a university in Hong Kong, the institution announced on Friday.

This comes as the entrepreneur has made a rare public appearance in China after his fall from grace in a government crackdown on the tech industry.

Since late 2020, Ma has kept a low profile when a speech he made against Chinese regulators was followed by Beijing pulling the plug on a planned IPO by Ant Group, an Alibaba affiliate.


For alleged unfair business practices, a record fine of $2.75 billion was also imposed on Chinese tech giant Alibaba.

The billionaire accepted an honorary professorship from the business school of the University of Hong Kong, it said on Friday.

The institution’s spokesperson said that it welcomed Ma in sharing "his rich knowledge and experience in business innovation and development".

In March 2026, the three-year term of the professorship will end, according to the local media.

The website of the school now has a profile of Ma, which highlights his expertise in "management and strategy".

In 2018, an honorary doctorate was awarded to Ma by the same university. But Ma seems to have "no plans for public lectures or speeches", as per the South China Morning Post, which is an English-language newspaper wholly owned by Alibaba.

In 2014, the Jack Ma Foundation was set up by the entrepreneur, said the Hong Kong-based Post.

Before coming up with Chinese tech giant Alibaba, Ma taught English for eight years at Hangzhou Dianzi University in Zhejiang. In 2015, Ma also founded a centre for entrepreneurship in Zhejiang.

FAQs

Q1:When was Alibaba founded?
April 4, 1999

Q2:Where is Jack Ma from?
Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China