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| Image courtesy - Bloomberg |
Before he became known as the self-made billionaire and CEO of Alibaba, Jack Ma was known by a different name.
The mind-mindbogglingly successful business leader was born Ma Yun. Even as a boy, Ma loved the Queen’s language. He would listen to Mark Twain's The Adventures of Tom Sawyer on a shortwave radio. After China's Open Door policy, in 1979, thousands of tourists began pouring into the country and many visited Hangzhou, Ma's hometown. And every morning, Ma would cycle 40 minutes to reach Hangzhou Hotel and from 5 am he would read English in front of the hotel where most foreigners stayed.
Ma gave the foreigners a free tour of the place and they taught him English. He did this for 9 years - every morning, come rain or snow. One of the American tourists whose father and husband were named Jack, one day suggested the name Jack to Ma. And henceforth and Ma Yun became known as Jack Ma.
How is Jack Ma's English now? Ahem...not so good, by his own admission. He says: "My grammar is terrible and I can speak enough English to make myself understood." But he believes that English helps him understand the world better; helps him to meet the best CEOs and leaders in the world, and make him understand the distance between China and the world.
Alibaba by Duncan Clark, Published by @Ecco, an imprint of Harper Collins.
The mind-mindbogglingly successful business leader was born Ma Yun. Even as a boy, Ma loved the Queen’s language. He would listen to Mark Twain's The Adventures of Tom Sawyer on a shortwave radio. After China's Open Door policy, in 1979, thousands of tourists began pouring into the country and many visited Hangzhou, Ma's hometown. And every morning, Ma would cycle 40 minutes to reach Hangzhou Hotel and from 5 am he would read English in front of the hotel where most foreigners stayed.
Ma gave the foreigners a free tour of the place and they taught him English. He did this for 9 years - every morning, come rain or snow. One of the American tourists whose father and husband were named Jack, one day suggested the name Jack to Ma. And henceforth and Ma Yun became known as Jack Ma.
How is Jack Ma's English now? Ahem...not so good, by his own admission. He says: "My grammar is terrible and I can speak enough English to make myself understood." But he believes that English helps him understand the world better; helps him to meet the best CEOs and leaders in the world, and make him understand the distance between China and the world.
Alibaba by Duncan Clark, Published by @Ecco, an imprint of Harper Collins.
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