en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alibaba_Group
6 corrections found
In 2012, China Investment Corporation led a group of Chinese investors in buying out Yahoo!'s 40% stake and in buying the Alibaba shares that had traded on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
In 2012 Alibaba did not buy out all of Yahoo!'s 40% stake. The deal repurchased about 20% of Alibaba, and Yahoo still held roughly 24% afterward.
Full reasoning
This sentence overstates the 2012 Yahoo transaction.
What the contemporaneous deal documents say:
- On May 20, 2012, Yahoo and Alibaba announced that the first step would be Alibaba's repurchase of up to one-half of Yahoo!'s stake, described as approximately 20% of Alibaba.
- Yahoo's later SEC filing states that after the September 2012 closing, Yahoo continued to hold approximately 24% ownership interest in Alibaba Group.
So the 2012 transaction was not a buyout of Yahoo's entire 40% stake. It was a partial repurchase of roughly half that stake, leaving Yahoo with a large remaining stake until later events around Alibaba's IPO.
2 sources
- Yahoo! and Alibaba Reach Agreement on Comprehensive Plan for Alibaba Stake
The first step is the repurchase by Alibaba of up to one-half of Yahoo!'s stake, or approximately 20% of Alibaba’s fully-diluted shares for an aggregate purchase price...
- Yahoo! Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (SEC)
Yahoo! will continue to account for its remaining approximately 24 percent ownership interest in Alibaba Group under the equity method.
According to the Reuters, Alibaba Group Holding Ltd has divested its logistics arm for $8.5 billion to a consortium led by investment firms Boyu Capital and Primavera Capital Group.
Reuters did not report that Alibaba sold off Cainiao for $8.5 billion. In March 2024 Alibaba said the opposite: it withdrew Cainiao's IPO and offered to buy the remaining shares it did not already own.
Full reasoning
This claim reverses the direction of the transaction.
In March 2024, Alibaba announced that Cainiao would withdraw its Hong Kong IPO application and that Alibaba would offer to acquire the remaining shares of Cainiao it did not already own for up to about US$3.75 billion. Reuters reported the same thing: Alibaba, already owning about 64% of Cainiao, was offering to buy the rest.
That is the opposite of "divest[ing] its logistics arm." The cited Reuters reporting was about Alibaba increasing ownership / buying out minority shareholders, not selling Cainiao to Boyu Capital and Primavera.
2 sources
- Alibaba Group Announces Withdrawal of Cainiao IPO Application and Proposal to Acquire All Outstanding Shares from Cainiao Minority Shareholders
Alibaba Group plans to offer to minority shareholders of Cainiao ... an opportunity to sell all of the outstanding shares of Cainiao held by them to Alibaba Group ... representing a total consideration of up to US$3.75 billion.
- Reuters: Alibaba to buy Cainiao stake for up to $3.75 billion as it drops IPO plan
Alibaba Group said on Tuesday it was offering to buy the 36% of Cainiao it does not already own for up to $3.75 billion, abandoning plans for an initial public offering (IPO) of the logistics business in Hong Kong.
Daniel Zhang succeeded Ma and has also served as Alibaba's CEO since 2015.
Daniel Zhang is no longer Alibaba's CEO. Alibaba announced in June 2023 that Eddie Wu would succeed him as CEO, effective September 10, 2023.
Full reasoning
This statement is outdated.
Alibaba officially announced on June 20, 2023 that Eddie Yongming Wu would succeed Daniel Zhang as Chief Executive Officer, effective September 10, 2023. Alibaba's current leadership page likewise says Eddie Wu "has served as our Chief Executive Officer" since September 2023.
So while Daniel Zhang did serve as CEO from 2015 to 2023, it is incorrect to say he "has also served as Alibaba's CEO since 2015" in the present tense on a current page.
2 sources
- Alibaba Group Announces Chairman and CEO Succession Plan
Eddie Yongming Wu ... will succeed Mr. Zhang as Chief Executive Officer ... Both appointments will take effect on September 10, 2023.
- Eddie Wu - Alibaba Group leadership page
Eddie Yongming WU has served as our Chief Executive Officer and director since September 2023.
On 19 September 2014, Alibaba's American initial public offering (IPO) on the New York Stock Exchange raised US$25 billion
Alibaba's IPO initially raised about US$21.8 billion, not US$25 billion. The roughly US$25 billion figure was only reached later after underwriters exercised the greenshoe option.
Full reasoning
The amount and timing here are off.
Alibaba's own pricing announcement on September 18, 2014 said the IPO was priced at US$68 per ADS for a total offering size of about US$21.77 billion, with the ADSs expected to begin trading on September 19, 2014. Contemporary reporting on September 19 likewise described the IPO as raising US$21.8 billion.
The larger ~US$25 billion figure came only after the underwriters exercised the additional share option (the greenshoe) a few days later. So saying that on September 19, 2014 the IPO raised US$25 billion is inaccurate.
2 sources
- Alibaba Group Announces Pricing of Initial Public Offering
Alibaba Group ... announced the pricing of its initial public offering ... at a price to the public of US$68 per ADS for a total offering size of approximately US$21.77 billion ... The ADSs are expected to begin trading ... on September 19, 2014.
- Alibaba Opens Trading At $92.70, Up 36 Percent From Its IPO Price
The Chinese e-commerce giant raised $21.8 billion in its IPO ... Should Alibaba's underwriters exercise their option to sell additional shares, the company could raise as much as $25 billion.
Two years later in 2014, Alibaba.com was privately held again following a $2.5 billion buyback.
Alibaba.com was taken private in 2012, not 2014. Contemporary reports and Alibaba's later SEC filing say the privatization took effect in June 2012.
Full reasoning
This sentence gives the wrong year for Alibaba.com's privatization.
Contemporaneous reporting says Alibaba.com was delisted from the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in June 2012, with the withdrawal of listing taking effect that month. Alibaba's later SEC filing also refers to "the privatization in June 2012."
So Alibaba.com did not become privately held again "two years later in 2014" after the buyback; it became private in 2012.
2 sources
- China's leading B2B platform delisted
Alibaba.com ... was delisted from the Hong Kong Stock Exchange Wednesday. The withdrawal of the listing, signaling privatization ... took effect at 4 pm.
- Alibaba Group filing exhibit (SEC)
Following the privatization in June 2012, all outstanding share-based awards relating to shares of Alibaba.com Limited were cancelled in exchange for cash payments to the holders of the awards.
Around 14% are held by SoftBank Group.
SoftBank's disclosed Alibaba stake was far smaller than 14%. Its SEC ownership filings showed about 5.0% in February 2024 and 3.3% in May 2025.
Full reasoning
This percentage is inconsistent with SoftBank's own SEC ownership filings.
- In a Schedule 13G/A filed February 14, 2024, SoftBank reported beneficial ownership of 640,979,100 Alibaba ordinary shares, equal to 5.0% of the class.
- In a later Schedule 13G/A filed May 15, 2025, SoftBank reported 630,790,344 Alibaba ordinary shares, equal to 3.3% of the class.
Those official filings contradict the statement that "around 14%" of Alibaba shares were held by SoftBank Group.
2 sources
- SoftBank Group Corp. Schedule 13G (SEC filing, February 14, 2024)
Percent of Class Represented by Amount in Row 9: 5.0%.
- SoftBank Group Corp. Schedule 13G/A (SEC filing, May 15, 2025)
Aggregate Amount Beneficially Owned ... 630,790,344.00 ... Percent of class represented by amount in row (9) 3.3%.