Jack Ma, founder of Alibaba, received an enthusiastic reception on Friday as he appeared at the company’s annual AliDay celebration, an event that honors employees and their families. The 60-year-old entrepreneur visited Alibaba’s headquarters in Hangzhou, touring a replica of the small apartment where he started the company 26 years ago. Though Ma did not deliver a speech, his presence alone energized employees, and images from the event quickly spread across Chinese social media platforms. Despite stepping down from all corporate roles, Ma remains Alibaba’s largest shareholder and a symbolic figurehead for many within the company.
This year’s AliDay events took place simultaneously across multiple locations, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and overseas offices. At the replica of Alibaba’s original office, a wall featured a quote from late Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping, handwritten by Ma in 2008: “Development is the hard truth.” Employees waited in long lines to visit the site, paying homage to the company’s humble origins. One founding member of DingTalk recalled how the small 100-square-meter apartment once housed up to 50 people, with staff arriving early just to find a seat. For newer recruits, like a recent graduate working in Taobao’s algorithm team, the visit was a moving glimpse into the company’s beginnings and growth.
Another employee from Alibaba’s AI lab in Beijing, who joined through campus recruitment, attended the event during a business trip to better understand the company’s founding spirit. He said Ma’s legacy offered valuable inspiration for his future career. Though Jack Ma no longer holds a formal leadership position, current chairman Joe Tsai and CEO Eddie Wu—both co-founders—continue to lead the company. Tsai also made an appearance during the celebrations.
In a company-wide memo released Friday, CEO Eddie Wu emphasized a renewed focus on several core strategic priorities. This marks a notable shift from the earlier restructuring plan to split Alibaba into six separate business units. Employees responded positively to this updated direction, with some expressing a strong sense of unity and excitement for the company’s future. One Cainiao employee remarked that recent policies encouraging cross-team collaboration had strengthened his connection to the broader Alibaba community.
While competition in China’s e-commerce sector intensifies amid sluggish domestic demand, Alibaba is also transforming into a leading AI solutions provider. The company plans to invest 380 billion yuan (US$52 billion) in AI infrastructure over the next three years, signaling its ambition to remain at the forefront of technological innovation.
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