Alibaba founder Jack Ma leaves Japan for Thailand as billionaire extends his study of farming technologies, people say
- Ma was pictured on social media with Jay Fai, owner of a Michelin-starred food stall in Bangkok
- Ma’s trip to Japan in late 2022 fanned speculation over whether the billionaire Alibaba founder has decided to settle down in the country
Jack Ma, the founder of Alibaba Group Holding and the affiliated fintech group Ant Group, has left Japan and arrived in Thailand to continue his study of farming and fishery, according to people familiar with his itinerary.
Ma was pictured on social media with Jay Fai, owner of a Michelin-starred food stall in Bangkok as well as attending Muay Thai boxing training in the city, a week after he delivered a two-and-half minute video to Chinese rural teachers in his foundation’s charity programme. “I hope to see you all offline as soon as possible,” Ma said.
Ma’s whereabouts have been closely watched in recent months as he is still seen by many as the face of Chinese private entrepreneurship, even though he has relinquished most of his business titles, including as chairman of a guild of provincial private businesses.
Ma, the 58-year-old billionaire who has resigned from his corporate roles, grabbed headlines on Saturday after Ant Group announced that he has agreed to relinquish his control at the Hangzhou-based fintech group in a complicated voting rights change at two holding vehicles.
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His trip to Japan in late 2022 fanned speculation over whether Ma has decided to settle down in the country. The Post reported earlier that Ma spent three months in Japan, where he looked into the operations and technology of fish farms.
He visited several research institutes in the Netherlands in October 2021 to acquaint himself with food-related technology including agricultural infrastructure, plant breeding, and the training of expertise in the field, according to people familiar with his plans.
In Japan, he spent time studying fishery and tuna farming, extending his interest in sustainable agriculture and the food industry. In his latest trip in Thailand, Ma visited a sea shrimp farming factory in the southeast Asian country, according to the people familiar with his schedule.
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His visit to Thailand came a month after a free-trade-zone project, launched in 2018 by Alibaba when Ma was still chairman, finally started trial operations. The digital hub in the so-called Eastern Economic Corridor – a special economic zone made up of three provinces in eastern Thailand – is part of the electronic World Trade Platform (eWTP), a multinational initiative backed by Ma to promote global trade.
The initiative was featured by the Global Digital Trade Expo, a six-day trade fair that opened last month in Hangzhou, capital of eastern Zhejiang province and home to Alibaba’s headquarters.
Alibaba is the owner of the South China Morning Post.
