Jack Ma
Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Alibaba.com

Jack Ma and his team of 18 founders created Alibaba.com in Hangzhou, China in March of 1999. Since that time, Alibaba.com has grown to become China’s largest e-commerce company. http://www.alibaba.com/aboutalibaba/jack.html

About Alibaba.com

Alibaba.com is China's leading e-commerce company, operating the world's largest online marketplaces for both international and domestic China trade, as well as China's most popular online payment system, AliPay. The Alibaba websites have more than 15 million registered users in 200 countries and territories. In 2004, over US$4 billion in trade is estimated to have come from buyers and sellers connecting at Alibaba sites.
http://resources.alibaba.com/article/352/August_11_2005_Yahoo_and_Alibaba_com_form_srategic_partnership_in_China.htm

Snapshots

After Alibaba took control of Yahoo's China sites in a deal in August, why do you focus on search engine and drop the other feathers of the earlier site?

Ma said that it is very important to know what Alibaba really needed before the combination with Yahoo, and what they really need is a search engine, not Yahoo pictures or Yahoo news, etc. Then he briefly introduced the strategy on promoting the Yahoo China site as a search engine to us.

With amazing whisper in us, Jack walked into our meeting room. He was really unique, not only for his typical yellow skin and black eyes, but also small size of his figure. With his swift walk and brief introduction of himself, we began to see an accomplished, traveled and successful businessman behind a deceptively thin and small appearance.

Facing the youngest guest and one of a few IT industry guests, everyone was attracted him and his masterpiece Alibaba.com, who recently acquired the Yahoo! China last month. Our first question was why he named the site Alibaba.com. As though prepared for this question from the start, he spoke, as though rehearsed of a famous character in an ancient Arabic letter whose heroic tales were known by people all over the world.

Our curiosity turned to his career and how he got started. After two failures of his own business he shared invaluable advice with us. First, never be afraid to compete with the giant in business world, because the market is magical and full of elasticity. Second, make sure you have enough power to control your business, and stay true to your own strategy and methods. Third, never give up on a solid goal. His last point, touching on strength, dedication and mainly focus, painted the picture of a mother; with her two hands holding each child and one on her back, she has undeniable focus to accomplish all that is necessary for her children.

Now, the prestiges of Alibaba and its designer and captain, Jack Ma have been known all over the world, especially after merging Yahoo, China. All of us believe that a greater success is waiting for Jack ahead in the near future.