The unbelievable and inspiring life story of Alibaba founder Jack Ma - the richest man in China

Advertisement

Trump jack ma

Evan Vucci/AP Images

President Donald Trump with Alibaba Executive Chairman Jack Ma.

Jack Ma made headlines last month after visiting President Donald Trump and announcing that he will help create a million jobs in the US.

Advertisement

Despite his commitment, the Chinese billionaire has not held back voicing scepticism of Trump's protectionist policies, warning "if trade stops, war starts."

When it comes to trade, Ma knows what he's talking about. According to Forbes, he's worth an estimated $29 billion, which includes his 7.8% stake in Alibaba - China's answer to Amazon - and a nearly 50% stake in payment processing service Alipay.

Ma is a true rags-to-riches story. He grew up poor in communist China, failed his university entrance exam twice, and was rejected from dozens of jobs, including one at KFC, before finding success with his third internet company, Alibaba.

Jillian D'onfro contributed to an earlier version of this post

Advertisement