Why Did Jack Ma (Alibaba) and Pony Ma (Tencent) Both Succeed, But in Different Ways?

Ma Huateng, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Tencent

It started with a conversation I had with my close friend from China through LinkedIn (I’d love to connect and keep in touch), which made me curious to ask him why Jack Ma from Alibaba is more famous than the founder of Tencent. And very few stories behind his success are revealed to the public. Even if there are some that talk about it, they don’t really inspire us enough when we read them.

My friend, who works as a Product Manager and Editor in one of the major technology media companies in China, also mentioned that the background of Tencent’s founder as a programmer makes him more reserved compared to other technology company founders in China like Jack Ma, who is more active in sharing his stories through various media.

My friend also offered me a book that talks about the story of Tencent’s founder, but unfortunately the book is in Mandarin. Even my friend doesn’t know the title of the book in English. Here is a screenshot of my conversation with my friend. (I won’t display my friend’s identity to avoid any spamming habits, just kidding)