Alibaba Executive Vice Chairman Joe Tsai. Art by Matt Vascellaro.
The Big Interview
Media/Telecom Asia Startups

Joe Tsai: Alibaba Finding Its Groove

Photo: Alibaba Executive Vice Chairman Joe Tsai. Art by Matt Vascellaro.

Alibaba has been on a roller coaster since going public two years ago. U.S. investors haven’t quite known what to make of the crown jewel of China tech that is worth a whopping $258 billion. Will Chinese consumers continue to shop even as the economy slows? Why is the company being investigated by the SEC? Why on earth is the company investing in Snapchat and Magic Leap?

Executive Vice Chairman Joe Tsai is the company’s explainer-in-chief, an executive as comfortable in Palo Alto as in Hangzhou. After a tumultuous year, the even-keeled businessman always appears pretty calm. That’s partly because the company posted a surprise 59% increase in revenue last quarter. It’s getting easier to believe that Alibaba can make money outside e-commerce.

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