Jack Ma is the founder of Alibaba Group, which includes highly successful internet businesses. In 2014, Ma was the richest man in China and the 18th richest man in the world, with a net worth of $29.7 billion. Ma graduated from college in 1988 with an English degree. In 1999, he launched Alibaba, which has become a leading global platform for wholesale trade serving millions of buyers and suppliers around the world. While Alibaba's stock price dropped after its IPO, it was still one of the richest IPOs in U.S. history and Ma remained extremely wealthy. Ma has significantly impacted small businesses worldwide through his creation of Alibaba.