Part 5/13:
Early investment played a crucial role in Alibaba’s rise. With $25 million in seed capital from Goldman Sachs and SoftBank (whose founder, Masayoshi Son, invested $20 million), Alibaba rapidly expanded. The partnership with Yahoo in 2005 was a watershed moment, acquiring a 40% stake for $1 billion—an endorsement of Alibaba’s potential and a testament to Ma’s strategic acumen.