SHANGHAI—Alibaba Group founder Jack Ma made his first public appearance since October 2020 on Jan. 20, speaking to a group of teachers by video, and easing concern about his unusual absence from the limelight and sending shares in the e-commerce giant surging.
Speculation over Ma’s whereabouts has swirled in the wake of news this month that he was replaced as a judge in the final episode of a reality TV show, and amid a regulatory clampdown by Beijing on his sprawling business empire.
