Tokyo | When Jack Ma, China’s most outspoken entrepreneur, went missing in late 2020 it sent a chill up the spine of the country’s business titans.

For years, Ma had been the poster child for Chinese capitalism. A self-made billionaire who started e-commerce giant Alibaba in his apartment with a bunch of friends, Ma toured the globe speaking at events such as Davos with world leaders, royalty, and other corporate stars.