<p><img src="https://static3.businessinsider.com/image/5f186be44dca68281322ed73-2000/gettyimages-1149599274.jpg" border="0" alt="jack ma ant group alibaba" data-mce-source="Chesnot/Getty Images" data-mce-caption="Chairman of Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. Jack Ma delivers a speech to participants during the 4th edition of the Viva Technology show at Parc des Expositions Porte de Versailles on May 16, 2019 in Paris, France."></p><p></p><bi-shortcode id="summary-shortcode" data-type="summary-shortcode" class="mceNonEditable" contenteditable="false">Summary List Placement</bi-shortcode><p>After months of speculation over Jack Ma's whereabouts, the billionaire was spotted playing golf at the Sun Valley Golf Resort in Hainan, people familiar with the matter told <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-02-10/jack-ma-spotted-playing-golf-after-weeks-out-of-public-view'sref=lAVQtUwz">Bloomberg</a> Wednesday.</p><p>This is the first public sighting of the Alibaba and Ant Group founder in more than two months. Reports suggested he was <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jack-ma-not-missing-alibaba-china-2021-1#:~:text=Alibaba%20founder%20Jack%20Ma%20is,China's%20crackdown%20on%20his%20businesses&text=Yahoo%20Finance%20earlier%20reported%20Ma,billion%20IPO%20in%20early%20November.">laying low on January 5</a> amid the Chinese Communist party's crackdown on his businesses.</p><p>The Sun Valley Golf Resort is located on Hainan Island, just off the coast of China. It's a five-star resort offering a 27-hole course surrounded by a vast green landscape. </p><p>One person who saw Ma at the resort described him as a golfing novice, Bloomberg reported.</p><p>Alibaba didn't immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.</p><p>His last appearance was apparently a virtual one on January 20, when <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jack-ma-alibaba-video-call-2021-1">he spoke to 100 teachers in remote areas of China</a> in a videoconference call. This was part of the Jack Ma Rural Teachers Award ceremony, which highlights outstanding teachers in poor and rural areas.</p><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/alibaba-founder-jack-ma-suspected-missing-2021-1">The 56-year-old was thought to be "missing"</a> on January 3 as he hadn't been seen publically in two months and was replaced in November as a judge on the African talent show he founded, "Africa's Business Heroes," <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/a91dfeae-da1e-4348-8212-bbfbe94d93bd" data-analytics-module="body_link" data-analytics-post-depth="60" data-uri="4c0df43b82c5f3fe12b4e095f880bcf4">the Financial Times reported</a>.</p><p><em><strong>Read more:</strong> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jack-ma-alibaba-canoo-discussed-partnership-2020-10'r=kd-sub">Insiders reveal Alibaba's Jack Ma sought a partnership with Canoo to build electric delivery vans, but the deal fell flat because the startup couldn't meet his aggressive timeline</a></em></p><p>CNBC anchor David Faber said January 5 that <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jack-ma-not-missing-alibaba-china-2021-1#:~:text=Alibaba%20founder%20Jack%20Ma%20is,China's%20crackdown%20on%20his%20businesses&text=Yahoo%20Finance%20earlier%20reported%20Ma,billion%20IPO%20in%20early%20November.">Ma "is being less visible</a>, purposefully," citing sources. "He may not have shown up, but he's not missing," Faber said.</p><p>The Chinese tech mogul has clashed with the country's regulators over the past few months because of his business antics.</p><p>In October, Ma publicly <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jack-ma-financial-regulations-ant-group-alibaba-2020-10" data-analytics-module="body_link" data-analytics-post-depth="80" data-uri="524233c61683d13c315a66a8d61dadbb">criticized China's financial regulatory system</a> at a conference in Shanghai. He said China was following global rules that are part of "an old people's club" and the rules of global banking <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jack-ma-financial-regulations-ant-group-alibaba-2020-10" data-analytics-module="body_link" data-analytics-post-depth="100" data-uri="524233c61683d13c315a66a8d61dadbb">aren't well-suited for Chinese tech innovation</a>.</p><p>One month later, China introduced stricter regulations that curbed what would have been <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jack-ma-offered-parts-ant-group-to-china-2020-12" data-analytics-module="body_link" data-analytics-post-depth="80" data-uri="89d2f0bc27f9d14537e92258dde7c112">a huge initial public offering for Ant Group</a>, Ma's fintech company.</p><p>Then in December, China <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/alibaba-antitrust-jack-ma-ant-group-beijing-regulators-2020-12" data-analytics-module="body_link" data-analytics-post-depth="80" data-uri="c84251283dd97cb6c7a48e0f49412a9f">launched an antitrust investigation</a> into Ma's e-commerce firm Alibaba over alleged anti-monopolistic practices. Regulators also said they'll push Ant Group to implement strict financial regulations.</p><p>Ant Group <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jack-mas-ant-group-plans-shrink-after-china-demands-wsj-2021-1">plans to restructure</a> itself, following the demand from Chinese regulators.</p><p>Ultimately, the company will become a financial holding company, overseen by China's central bank, people with knowledge of the matter told The <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/jack-mas-ant-plans-major-revamp-in-response-to-chinese-pressure-11611749842">Wall Street Journal</a> in January.</p><p><strong>SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/inspiring-life-story-of-alibaba-founder-jack-ma-2017-2" >Jack Ma hasn't been seen in 2 months after clashing with Chinese regulators. Here's a look at how the Alibaba and Ant Group founder got started as a scrappy underdog and amassed a $50 billion fortune.</a></strong></p><p><strong>SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jack-ma-not-missing-alibaba-china-2021-1#:~:text=Alibaba%20founder%20Jack%20Ma%20is,China's%20crackdown%20on%20his%20businesses&text=Yahoo%20Finance%20earlier%20reported%20Ma,billion%20IPO%20in%20early%20November." >Alibaba founder Jack Ma is reportedly not missing and has been laying low amid China's crackdown on his businesses</a></strong></p><p><strong>SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/alibaba-founder-jack-ma-steps-down-from-460-billion-empire-2019-9" >Jack Mathe most flamboyant tech founder on the planet and China's richest mansteps down from his $460 billion Alibaba empire after 20 years</a></strong></p><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jack-ma-alibaba-spotted-playing-golf-laying-low-china-regulators-2021-2#comments">Join the conversation about this story »</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-symphony-seas-worlds-largest-cruise-ship-deals-with-waste-2020-3">How waste is dealt with on the world's largest cruise ship</a></p>
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