Obama meets privately with Alibaba founder
President Obama on Tuesday met with the newly minted richest man in Asia, Jack Ma, founder of the Chinese e-commerce conglomerate Alibaba.
Ma, whose net worth jumped this year to $33.3 billion, ate lunch with Obama, according to a White House official.
The meeting was private and did not appear on the president’s public schedule.
Ma was spotted leaving the White House complex Tuesday afternoon. He told a Washington Post reporter that the meeting was “very good.”
Alibaba’s Jack Ma, China’s 2nd-richest man, leaves WH complex after reportedly meeting @POTUS. Not on public sked. pic.twitter.com/O4535toOXP
— David Nakamura (@DavidNakamura) May 17, 2016
{mosads}White House aides did not say what issues the two men discussed over lunch.
Obama last spoke to Ma in a public setting last November during an Asia-Pacific summit in the Philippines.
The president asked the online retail magnate what governments and large businesses around the world could do to better help young entrepreneurs.
“Government is simple — just reduce the tax, or no tax, for these guys,” Ma said, sparking a round of applause and laughter from the crowd.
“You got a lot of cheers from your fellow CEOs,” Obama responded.
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