The Rise and Fall of Alibaba
Once hailed as Asia's most valuable tech company, Alibaba, founded by Jack Ma, is facing significant challenges in its restructuring efforts, according to the Financial Times. The Chinese giant, which was worth over $800 billion at its peak, is now vulnerable to competitors as it struggles to maintain its position as the region's top tech firm.
The Complex Business Landscape
Alibaba started as China's answer to Amazon, operating digital marketplaces like Tmall and Taobao. However, it has grown into a sprawling conglomerate with diverse divisions, including cloud services, logistics, entertainment, and delivery. With this growth, the company has faced increasing regulatory pressure from Beijing, culminating in a record $2.8 billion antitrust fine in 2021.
Troubles in Restructuring
In an attempt to address regulatory concerns and streamline its operations, Alibaba announced a radical restructuring plan in March 2023. The plan involved splitting the company into six separate businesses led by different CEOs. However, the implementation has faced significant challenges, with employees expressing confusion about which units have been split and concerns about the spin-off of loss-making operations.
Obstacles and Setbacks
Alibaba's restructuring program encountered its first setback in November when the company announced that it would not fully spin off its cloud arm due to uncertainties created by US restrictions on advanced computing chips. The focus on restructuring has also hindered Alibaba's ability to compete with domestic rivals in the e-commerce sector, such as Douyin and PDD.
Alibaba has not yet responded to Business Insider's request for comment.
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By: hchowdhury@insider.com (Hasan Chowdhury)
Title: Alibaba’s Troubled Restructuring Plan Puts Its Tech Dominance at Risk
Sourced From: www.businessinsider.com/jack-ma-alibaba-struggling-turnaround-plan-china-2024-1
Published Date: Tue, 02 Jan 2024 12:24:17 +0000
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