07/05/2026
WHY SMART PEOPLE DON’T ATTACK THE GOVERNMENT PUBLICLY.
Where is Jack Ma today? What happened to Alibaba?
Once the richest man in China, Jack Ma seemed to disappear from the spotlight overnight. He was once the face of e-commerce in China, competing with global giants like Amazon and eBay, but a single 20-minute speech changed everything.
On October 24, 2020, Jack Ma attended the Bund Summit in Shanghai, where China’s top financial and political figures were present. Instead of playing it safe, he publicly criticized Chinese banks and financial regulators.
He said:
“Chinese banks operate with a pawnshop mentality.”
“The Basel Accords are like a club for the elderly.”
“China’s financial system lacks innovation; it only stifles growth.”
The regulators were furious. Jack Ma had openly challenged the system. In his song “Understand,” Omah Lay says, “I don’t fight uniform men.” In simple terms, you do not fight authority recklessly. No one is bigger than the system, and the Chinese government moved quickly to remind Jack Ma of that reality.
On November 3, 2020, Ant Group’s planned $37 billion IPO was cancelled overnight.
Soon after, the Chinese government launched an antitrust investigation into Alibaba.
Banks and investors slowly distanced themselves from him.
The aftermath was brutal:
• Jack Ma’s personal wealth reportedly dropped from about $61 billion to nearly $30 billion.
• Alibaba lost hundreds of billions in market value.
• Ant Group’s valuation crashed from around $280 billion to about $78 billion.
Whether you agree with the government or not, one lesson stands out clearly: no individual is bigger than the system.
I am seeing most people glorifying the man who was talking rudely to the police. Telling them that he is rich and that they are poor and he can employ them as watchmen. I want to tell you without any fear of contradiction that his consequences will be severe.
Once the video went viral, it changed the dynamics. He was not just attacking the policemen, but the government and the government hates to be humiliated publicly. In retaliation, the government will show him that he is not bigger than the system. In football, we say no player is bigger than the team.
Raila Odinga understood this reality very well. Whether people agree with him or not, he mastered the art of navigating power structures and working with the system when necessary.
I always say this: don’t just play the game — play it the way it is meant to be played.
The Stoicism teach that a wise man knows when to fight and when to walk away. The wisest warrior is often the one who avoids unnecessary wars in the first place.
Control your emotions. Emotional intelligence separates you from the herd.
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