The editor and executive director-content of Forbes Asia, Justin Doebele, did an exclusive interview with Jack Ma in October.

Jack Ma already has long had CSR programs more than ten years ago. In 2006, Alibaba launched its first organized philanthropy to help underprivileged mothers in China, dubbed the model mother program. To date, some 20,000 mothers have gotten free training and funding to become online entrepreneurs.

The company made a major commitment in 2010 when Alibaba started to earmark 0.3% of its revenues to philanthropy. Two years later, it established the Alibaba Foundation to manage its philanthropic efforts. With $56 billion in revenues for the 2019 fiscal year, 0.3% would be $168 million.

Ma's personal philanthropy started in 2014, and his Foundation has 23 million Alibaba shares, worth about $4.6 billion. Jack Ma Foundation by itself also has already distributed or pledged at least $300 million. This year, the foundation pledged about $14 million to protect wetlands in Hangzhou.

In addition, it also joined with the Alipay Foundation and Joe Tsai Foundation in a ten-year, $143 million pledge to support the development of women’s soccer in China.

Aside from China, the foundation has helped causes in Africa, Australia and the Middle East. Ma wants his foundation to have maximum impact.

Ma said he will devote more time and effort to education, philanthropy and the environment. It is expected that Ma is entering a new chapter in his career.