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- By Supratik Das
- Tue, 29 Apr 2025 02:51 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
As Alibaba Group introduces its new series of open-source AI models, Qwen3, the limelight once again falls on the individual whose vision laid the foundation of the tech giant, Jack Ma. Once an English teacher with no technical background, Ma’s legacy continues to influence Alibaba’s bold bets in artificial intelligence. The company is spending billions on AI infrastructure in the upcoming years.. His tale continues to be among the most inspirational stories of entrepreneurial success in today's tech age.
From English Teacher To Billionaire
Born in 1964, Ma fought in school, especially math, and was rejected twice by universities. But his persistence earned him an English degree and a teaching position. In 1995 a visit to Seattle introduced him to the internet, kindling a dream that was unattainable in China during those days. Equipped with scant resources but a worldwide vision, Ma founded Alibaba in 1999 in his Hangzhou apartment. With no discernible business model and minimal technical expertise, he trusted instinct, trial and error, and sheer willpower. “We don’t want to be number one in China. We want to be number one in the world,” he said in those early years.
Vision Over Technical Skills
Despite being frank about his lack of tech savvy, Ma constructed one of the world's biggest e-commerce and cloud computing empires. His conviction that wisdom, rather than book smarts, is what fuels innovation has influenced Alibaba's corporate culture. “MBA graduates are not useful unless they forget what they learned,” Ma once declared, prioritizing real-world experience over classroom theory. That same mentality continues to guide Alibaba's evolution, including its bold expansion into artificial intelligence. The introduction of the Qwen3 AI model family, proclaimed to be the world's largest open-source ecosystem, marks not only technological progress but the bold thinking Ma advocated from day one.
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Jack Ma, billionaire founder of Alibaba Group | Credit: Reuters
Whereas Qwen3 is Alibaba's most recent technological breakthrough, it's also a reflection of Ma's years-long focus on flexibility. The company is spending more than 52 billion USD on AI infrastructure in the next three years, the biggest private tech investment in China, and committing half its new internships to AI positions. From disrupting e-commerce with Alibaba.com and Taobao, to establishing Alipay and competing with international giants such as eBay, Ma's risk-taking and innovation paved the way for Alibaba's foray into next-generation AI.
The Spirit Lives On
Though Jack Ma has largely retreated from daily operations and public life, his entrepreneurial ethos continues to underpin Alibaba's strategy. “Facing difficulty and failure is part of the journey,” he once stated. Presently, it motivates Alibaba's forays into AI, cloud computing, and more. As Alibaba hones its artificial intelligence focus with tools such as Qwen3, it's evident the company continues to work with the same vision that made a former teacher one of the world's most powerful tech founders.