Alibaba Group facts for kids
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"Taobao City", the main corporate campus of Alibaba Group at Xixi, Hangzhou
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Native name
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阿里巴巴集团控股有限公司
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| Traded as | |
| ISIN | ISIN: [https://isin.toolforge.org/?language=en&isin=US01609W1027 US01609W1027] |
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| Founded | 28 June 1999 Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China |
| Founder | Jack Ma |
| Headquarters | No. 969 West Wen Yi Road,
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Area served
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Worldwide |
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Key people
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| Services |
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| Revenue |  CN¥868.687 billion (US$126.49 billion, 2023) |
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Operating income
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CN¥100.351 billion (US$14.612 billion, 2023) |
| CN¥65.573 billion (US$9.548 billion, 2023) |
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| Total assets | CN¥1.753 trillion (US$255.263 billion, 2023) |
| Total equity | CN¥1.113 trillion (US$162.07 billion, 2023) |
| Owner | SoftBank Group (23.9%) |
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Number of employees
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235,216 (July 2023) |
| Subsidiaries | See companies and affiliated entities |
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"Alibaba" in Chinese characters.
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| Simplified Chinese | 阿里巴巴集团 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 阿里巴巴集團 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Alibaba Group Holding Limited, known simply as Alibaba, is a huge technology company from China. It works in many areas like e-commerce (online shopping), retail, the Internet, and technology. Alibaba was started on June 28, 1999, in Hangzhou, China.
The company helps people and businesses buy and sell things online. It also offers services like cloud computing (storing data online), digital media, and entertainment. Alibaba owns many different companies all over the world.
In 2014, Alibaba became a public company, meaning its shares could be bought and sold on the New York Stock Exchange. This was one of the biggest stock market debuts ever! Alibaba is now one of the most valuable companies globally. It's also one of the largest online retailers and e-commerce companies in the world.
Contents
What's in a Name? Alibaba's Story
The name "Alibaba" comes from the famous Middle Eastern story One Thousand and One Nights. The founders chose this name because it's known all over the world.
Jack Ma, one of the founders, shared how he picked the name. He was in San Francisco and asked a waitress if she knew Alibaba. She said yes and replied, "Open Sesame!" This phrase means opening doors to treasures. Jack Ma liked this idea because he wanted Alibaba to "open sesame" for small and medium-sized businesses around the world.
Alibaba's Journey: A Look at Its History
How Alibaba Started
On June 28, 1999, Jack Ma and 17 friends started Alibaba.com. This website was a place for businesses to buy and sell from each other. Their goal was to help Chinese companies sell their products globally.
Soon, Alibaba.com became very successful. By 2002, it was making a profit. Jack Ma then wanted to improve online shopping even more. So, from 2003, Alibaba launched other important services like Taobao Marketplace (for people to buy and sell), Alipay (for online payments), and Tmall (for big brands).
When another big online company, eBay, came to China, Jack Ma saw them as a rival. Alibaba's new services, especially Taobao, grew very fast. They offered free services to attract many users. Eventually, Taobao became so popular that it helped Alibaba become the top e-commerce company in China.
Growing Bigger and Stronger
In 2005, Yahoo! invested a lot of money in Alibaba. This helped Alibaba grow even more. Alibaba also started buying parts of other companies. For example, they bought a share in a department store chain called Intime Retail.
In 2014, Alibaba made headlines with its huge stock market debut in the US. It raised billions of dollars, making it the biggest US stock offering in history at that time.
Alibaba also started sponsoring the Olympic Games in 2017, a deal that will last until 2028. In 2018, Jack Ma announced he would step down as chairman to focus on helping others through charity.
Recent Changes and Growth
In 2019, Alibaba made another big move by listing its shares in Hong Kong. This was one of the largest stock offerings that year. Daniel Zhang took over as chairman after Jack Ma stepped down.
In March 2023, Alibaba announced a major change in how it's organized. They split the company into six main groups. Each group can now run more independently and even raise its own money. This change aims to help each part of Alibaba grow faster and be more flexible.
How Alibaba Works
Alibaba is a huge company with many different parts. Here's a look at some of its main businesses:
| Revenue (US$ bn) | Net income (US$ bn) | Employees (k) | |
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| 2016 | 15.6 | 11.0 | 36.4 |
| 2017 | 22.9 | 6.3 | 50.0 |
| 2018 | 39.8 | 10.1 | 66.4 |
| 2019 | 56.1 | 13.0 | 101 |
| 2020 | 71.9 | 21.1 | 117 |
| 2021 | 109 | 22.9 | 251 |
| 2022 | 134 | 9.8 | 254 |
| 2023 | 126 | 10.5 | 235 |
Alibaba's Many Businesses
Alibaba has many different companies and services. They cover everything from online shopping to smart technology.
Online Shopping and Retail
- Alibaba.com: This was the first business Jack Ma started. It's a huge online marketplace where businesses around the world can buy and sell from each other.
- Taobao Marketplace: Launched in 2003, Taobao is China's biggest online shopping site for everyday people. It's like a giant online mall with all kinds of products.
- Tmall: Started in 2008, Tmall is a special part of Taobao. It focuses on selling products from big, well-known brands to Chinese shoppers.
- AliExpress: This service, launched in 2010, helps small Chinese businesses sell their products directly to buyers all over the world. It's popular in places like Russia and Brazil.
- Lazada: In 2016, Alibaba bought a big part of Lazada, an e-commerce company popular in Southeast Asian countries like Indonesia and the Philippines.
- Fliggy: This is Alibaba's online travel platform, launched in 2016. It helps young people plan trips, especially overseas travel, and book flights and hotels.
- Freshippo (Hema): These are supermarkets that Alibaba started opening in 2017. They combine online and in-store shopping. You can buy groceries in the store or order online for quick delivery.
Smart Logistics and Delivery
- Cainiao: In 2013, Alibaba teamed up with other logistics companies to create Cainiao. This company helps deliver packages across China and is building a global delivery network. Cainiao uses smart technology to make deliveries faster and more efficient.
Cloud Computing and Artificial Intelligence
- Alibaba Cloud: Launched in 2009, this is Alibaba's cloud computing service. It helps businesses store and process huge amounts of data online. It's the biggest cloud company in China.
- AliOS: This is an operating system for mobile devices, created by Alibaba Cloud.
- AliGenie: This is a smart personal assistant, like Siri or Alexa, used in smart speakers like the Tmall Genie.
- City Brain: This technology helps cities manage traffic, detect accidents, and improve transportation using artificial intelligence.
- XuanTie-910: Alibaba designed its own powerful computer processor in 2019.
- Hanguang 800: This is an AI accelerator, a special chip that helps artificial intelligence work much faster.
- Tongyi Qianwen: In 2023, Alibaba introduced this AI chatbot, similar to ChatGPT. It can help with writing emails, creating business ideas, and turning conversations into notes.
Entertainment Services
- Digital Media and Entertainment Group: This group handles Alibaba's entertainment businesses.
- Damai: This is Alibaba's platform for buying tickets to live events like concerts, plays, and sports games.
- Alibaba Pictures Group: This company focuses on making movies and TV shows.
- AliMusic: This is Alibaba's music division, which includes music streaming apps.
- Youku Tudou: Alibaba also has a stake in Youku Tudou, a popular online video platform in China.
Internet Services
- Aliwangwang: This is an instant messaging service that helps customers talk to online sellers.
- DingTalk: Launched in 2014, DingTalk is a communication and teamwork app for businesses.
- Shenma: This is a mobile-only search engine created by Alibaba.
Online Payments and Financial Technology
- Alipay: Launched in 2004, Alipay is a very popular online payment platform. It allows people to pay for things online and even offers a service where money is held safely until the buyer is happy with their purchase.
- Ant Group: In 2014, Alipay became part of a larger company called Ant Financial Services (now Ant Group). Ant Group is one of the world's most valuable financial technology companies. It helps people manage their money and even tracks carbon footprints for environmental efforts.
Other Businesses
- AliHealth: This company focuses on online pharmacy and medical services.
- AutoNavi: Alibaba acquired this Chinese map supplier.
- AliSports: This division handles sports rights, events, and ticketing.
- South China Morning Post: Alibaba also owns this well-known newspaper.
How Alibaba is Managed
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Jack Ma, the main founder of Alibaba, was the executive chairman until September 10, 2019. Daniel Zhang took over as CEO in 2015 and then as chairman in 2019. Recently, Joseph Tsai became the new chairman and Eddie Wu became the CEO. These leaders help guide Alibaba's many businesses.
Who Owns Alibaba?
Many different people and groups own parts of Alibaba. About 44% of its shares are owned by the general public. Large investment groups own about 40%. One of the biggest shareholders is SoftBank Group.
Helping Society
Alibaba cares about social responsibility. It actively supports women in the workplace and works with groups like the All-China Women's Federation to help women in e-commerce. About half of Alibaba's employees are women, and many hold leadership roles.
See Also
In Spanish: Alibaba Group para niños
- Variable interest entity
- Amazon
