Chinese billionaire Jack Ma is living in Tokyo since Beijing’s crackdown on technology sector: Report

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Jack Ma, the co-founder and former executive chairman of Alibaba Group, has been living with his family in Tokyo for almost six months, The Financial Times reported on Tuesday citing sources. 

The news about his whereabouts came amid China’s rampant crackdown on the country’s technology sector. The Chinese regime has targeted powerful businessmen, and Jack Ma too ran into trouble with the authorities over violating anti-monopoly regulations. 

People with direct knowledge of his current home told the media outlet that the Chinese billionaire’s stay in Tokyo included stints in hot springs and ski resorts in the countryside outside the Japanese capital. He and his family reportedly had regular trips to the US and Israel. 

The business magnate is more or less not seen in public ever since he criticised the Chinese regulators in 2020. He has been spotted in some countries, like Spain and the Netherlands. 

In 2020, he accused the state-run banks of having a “pawnshop mentality”. After he made the accusations, the companies he founded—Ant and Alibaba—were targeted by authorities, and faced regulatory obstacles. 

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The FT report said that he has kept a low profile during his stay in Tokyo. He brought his personal chef and security with him and kept his public activities to a minimum, said the people who know his location. 

 

His social activities centre around a small handful of private members’ clubs, with one based in the heart of Tokyo’s swish Ginza district and another in the Marunouchi financial district facing the Imperial Palace. 

Although there’s no official reaction, some claim that the billionaire had used his time in Japan to expand his business interests. The Jack Ma Foundation and Ant did not respond to requests for comment regarding his visit to Tokyo. 

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