Jack Ma hiding out in Tokyo after China crackdown

The billionaire Jack Ma has reportedly been hiding out in Tokyo with his family during Beijing’s crackdown. Jack Ma, the billionaire founder of e-commerce giant Alibaba and one of China’s richest people, has been living in Japan for the past six months after disappearing from public view. According to reports, Ma has been keeping a low profile while he takes up hobbies like painting watercolors, collecting art, bathing in hot springs, and skiing in the countryside outside of Tokyo. On Tuesday the Financial Times, which is owned by the Japanese media company Nikkei, revealed Ma has most recently been living in Japan.

Alibaba has become the lightning rod in the crackdown on big tech after Ma, famed for his outspoken nature and eccentric streak, accused regulators of stifling innovation. Ma has largely disappeared from public view since he criticised Chinese regulators two years ago, accusing the state banks of having a “pawnshop mentality” and calling for bold new players that could extend credit to the collateral poor. His comments reportedly infuriated the president, Xi Jinping. Ma has been spotted elsewhere since he effectively disappeared from public view in China, including on the Spanish island of Mallorca last year.