How Jack Ma became the role model for startups

Jack Ma, chairman of Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., attends the opening day of the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Russia, on Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2018. The 4th annual Eastern Economic Forum, held in Vladivostok, will run from 11-13 September. Photographer: Andrey Rudakov/Bloomberg

HONG KONG: Long before he became China’s most globally prominent business figure, Jack Ma (pic) was just an English teacher trying to persuade his friends that they would one day buy things over the Internet.

His vision changed China. As Ma makes plans to leave Alibaba Group Holding Ltd, his legacy will be an enduring one. He did far more than just create and build an e-commerce juggernaut into the most valuable company in Asia, impressive as that may be.