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Alibaba founder Jack Ma is feeling glum
The founder and executive chairman of e-commerce giant Alibaba isn’t happy about being the richest man in China.
Jack Ma became China’s richest man after Alibaba IPO’d in September, and he told CNBC that he thinks the responsibility is a “great pain” and that he’s not happy. The pressure gets to him, especially as people put high expectations on Alibaba’s stock price.
“IPO is great because…I’m happy with the results,” he says, “But honestly, I think when people think too highly of you, you have the responsibility to calm down and be yourself.”
Ma says he tries to make himself happy, because he knows that the happiness of his colleagues, shareholders, and customers depends on his outlook, to some extent.
Not only does the stock price and thinking about the future worry him, but he feels like people look at him differently when they see him on the street. He feels like people have started surrounding him because of his riches, not because of who is actually is.
“I want people to see this is entrepreneur, this is a guy who is having fun of himself,” Ma says. “I want to be myself.”
He told CNBC he’s looking for ways to use his enormous wealth to give back to society.
Watch a video of the interview here:
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