For the first time since the end of October, the Chinese billionaire Jack Ma has appeared again in public. Chinese state media broadcast a video message from the 56 -year-old on Wednesday, with which he reportedly addressed 100 Teachers in rural areas.

Ma announced in the video that she wanted to do more for charitable purposes than before.

Charitable causes “I have been studying and thinking with my colleagues these days “We are now even more determined to devote ourselves to education and charity,” Ma was quoted as saying in his address at an annual event held by his foundation appeared more publicly since sharply criticizing the Chinese regulators in a speech. Subsequently, there was speculation about Ma’s disappearance that Chinese authorities might be involved. Ma had also been replaced as a juror on his own business show, “Africa’s Business Heroes,” which fueled speculation. Ma had not been active on Twitter since October 2020.

At the beginning of November, the authorities stopped the planned IPO of the Alibaba financial subsidiary Ant Group with reprimands to new rules. It should have been the biggest IPO of all time. Alibaba also got caught in the crossfire on another front, which is now also being investigated by the Chinese antitrust authorities for alleged monopoly offenses.

It remains unclear why Ma has only reported back after several months of disappearing and not already previously. (with material from dpa) / (olb)