Jack Ma — The Teacher Who Built Alibaba and Disappeared

Ma was an English teacher who failed the college entrance exam twice and was rejected from 30 jobs (including KFC). He built Alibaba into China's most valuable company ($600 billion peak), became the richest person in Asia ($50 billion), and was the most famous entrepreneur in Chinese history. Then he criticized Chinese financial regulators in October 2020. Ant Group's $37 billion IPO was cancelled overnight. Ma disappeared from public life for three months. When he resurfaced, he was a changed man — quiet, humble, painting in Europe. The CCP taught the world what happens when a CEO becomes bigger than the state.