Jack Ma, Alibaba founder and chairman, responses to the media at the Water Cube or National Swimming Center in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 12, 2015. (Xinhua file photo/Ju Huanzong)
Jack Ma is perhaps one of the most famous business people in China, profoundly changing how Chinese shop by establishing the Alibaba company and setting up e-commerce platform Taobao.
But Ma's taste has changed in recent years, as frequent news of him acquiring media outlets led to speculations that Ma is trying to build a media empire in China, similar to that of Rupert Murdoch's.
Ma made the headlines in December, paying 266 million U.S. dollars for one of the oldest press names in Hong Kong, The South China Morning Post.
Prior to this major acquisition, Ma had been trying his hand in numerous low-profile investments, including conventional media Business Review, China Business Network, video website Youku Tudou and social media Momo and Sina Weibo.
According to reports, Ma is now eyeing Caixin, one of China's most prestigious business magazines, to be the next trophy in his collection.
Despite similar business patterns, analysts believe Ma's motive is different than that of Murdoch's. Unlike Murdoch who view media as a business in its own right, Ma will more likely use media outlets under his control to promote his businesses in other sectors, such as e-commerce, health and entertainment.
