Jack Ma reemergence brings good news for Alibaba investors

The billionaire co-founder of tech giants Alibaba and Ant Group, had not been seen since regulators blocked Ant’s record public share offer.

Jack Ma, the former English teacher and billionaire founder of the popular Chinese e-commerce site, Ali Baba, dispelled all rumors about his whereabouts after he was seen in public for the first time since October.

The outspoken founder of China’s e-commerce and fintech behemoths, Alibaba and Ant Group, has been out of sight for months, since Chinese regulators began cracking down on his internet empire in November, sparking rumors and speculation about his fate.

Last October, Ma drew the ire of Beijing after giving a daring speech in which he criticized Chinese financial regulators. Following Beijing’s suspension of Ant’s $37 billion IPO in November and his subsequent absence from the public, many believed that he had met the same fate as some disappeared Chinese tycoons who later resurfaced in custody to face prosecution and jail time. However, following his reappearance on Wednesday, investors appeared to be greatly reassured as Ali Baba’s stock was up around 9% in trading in Hong Kong.

It remains to be seen where else he surfaces in the coming weeks and months.