Jack Ma, Chairman of China’s Alibaba Group, Motivational Quote: “Are You a Poor?”

Jack Ma, Chairman of China’s Alibaba Group, Motivational Quote: “Are You a Poor Person?”

Discover Jack Ma’s motivational insight ‘Are You Poor?’ and learn how decisive action, not hesitation, drives success and wealth in life and business.

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Who is Jack Ma (馬雲)?

Photo of Jack Ma, Chairman of China’s Alibaba Group, delivering a speech at an official event.

Jack Ma is the founder of Alibaba Group, China’s first and largest online e-commerce platform, and served as its inaugural chairman and CEO before stepping down from day-to-day management in 2019 to become honorary chairman. Have you heard of BAT, the term representing China’s top IT companies? In BAT, “B” stands for Baidu, “A” for Alibaba, and “T” for Tencent—similar to how MAGA refers to leading U.S. tech giants. Alibaba’s key businesses include Alibaba.com, Taobao, AliExpress, Tmall, Lazada, AliCloud, and Alipay. Fun fact: the company’s name comes from the Middle Eastern folk tale “Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves.”

Jack Ma, a former English teacher who graduated from a teacher’s college, visited Australia in 1985 at the invitation of Ken Mori, who was living in Newcastle at the time. During his month-long stay in Newcastle, Ma experienced the internet for the first time, which sparked his entrepreneurial inspiration. After years of continuously strengthening his mindset, he founded Alibaba.com in 1999 with 17 colleagues, creating an online platform for buying and selling goods. In 2000, he secured a $20 million investment from Masayoshi Son, chairman of Japan’s SoftBank Group, allowing Alibaba to aggressively capture the Chinese e-commerce market and reach its break-even point within just one year. Thanks to the explosive growth of China’s e-commerce sector, Alibaba went public on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 2007 and later successfully listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 2014.

As of 2025, Alibaba Group Holding Limited (BABA ▼$170.43) has a market capitalization of approximately $400 billion, and Jack Ma’s net worth is estimated at around $30 billion. Jack Ma is widely regarded as one of China’s most successful entrepreneurs, earning admiration from countless young people. He became a prominent motivational figure by delivering inspiring messages to youth at public events. However, after criticizing China’s financial regulations at the end of 2021, Ma withdrew from public appearances for a period. During this hiatus, it was reported that he stayed in Tokyo for an extended period, sparking a trend among China’s middle and upper class known as “Run Ri” (潤日). This newly coined Chinese term combines “潤” (Run) and “日” (Japan) and literally means “Escaping from China to Japan.”

Today, I want to share one of Jack Ma’s most inspiring quotes. Over the years, Jack Ma has delivered countless memorable insights in public speeches, but there’s one that deeply resonated with me and that I wanted to feature on this blog.

Jack Ma’s Motivational Quote: “Are You Poor?”

“

The hardest people to work with in this world are the poor-minded ones. When I offer them freedom, they call it a trap. When I suggest a small business, they say it won’t make much money. When I propose a large business, they claim there’s no investment capital. When I try a new venture, they say there’s no experience. When I suggest a traditional business, they argue it’s too saturated and difficult. When I present a new business model, they label it a pyramid scheme. When I propose running a store together, they say it limits freedom. And when I suggest starting a new venture with me, they insist there are no experts. People like this share one thing in common: they love asking random, unverified strangers on Google, Reddit, or Quora for advice. They seek opinions from friends with no ambition or success. They believe they think more deeply than university professors, yet they do less than a blind man trying to find his way. Ask them what they can actually do — most won’t even know how to answer. Here’s my conclusion: instead of letting your heart race with anxiety, act faster. Instead of overthinking, just start. The poor fail because of these same patterns of hesitation and excuses. Their lives end while they’re still waiting for the “right time.” Now ask yourself — are you one of them?

”

I want to share a personal story. One of my middle school classmates became wealthy through the mining business in South America. Over the years, he has given me advice and business ideas that helped me take my life and career to the next level.

Fifteen years ago, I went through a very difficult time in my business. Sales were falling, expenses were rising, and funding options were limited. I was struggling to survive. One day, I got a message that this friend was coming to Korea.

On a cool autumn night, we met at a sky bar in Seoul overlooking Namsan Tower. We smoked cigars and talked about life and business. I honestly shared my struggles and the decisions I was facing. He told me, “The most important thing is to accurately assess the situation, and once you make a decision, act without hesitation.”

At the time, I was focused only on reducing risks. He then said, “As people get older, they become fearful. They think too much and act too little. That’s how opportunities are lost.” His words felt like a hammer to my head.

He was right. Success depends more on action than endless thinking. Overthinking slows execution or prevents you from starting at all. Especially in today’s world, it is better to move first, learn from experience, and adjust along the way.

This is exactly what Jack Ma meant in his motivational quote, “Are you a poor person?” Hesitation and inaction are often the biggest obstacles to success.

Jack Ma’s message is clear — success starts with action, not excuses. Wealth begins in the mind. Those who constantly wait, doubt, and fear never move forward. The key is to start now, learn along the way, and build momentum through consistent effort.

알리바바 그룹 마윈 회장의 동기부여 명언: "당신은 가난한 사람인가?"

“

세상에서 가장 같이 일하기 힘든 사람은 가난한 사람들이다. 그들은 자유를 주면 함정이라고 하고, 작은 비즈니스라고 하면 돈을 별로 못 번다고 얘기하고, 큰 비즈니스라고 하면 돈이 없다고 하고, 새로운 걸 시도하고자 하면 경험이 없다 하고, 전통적인 비즈니스라고 하면 어렵다고 하고, 새로운 비즈니스 모델이라고 하면 다단계라 하고, 마트를 같이 운영하자고 하면 자유가 없다고 하고, 새로운 사업을 시작하자고 하면 전문가가 없다고 한다. 이런 자들에게는 공통점이 있다. Google, Reddit, Quora에서 검증되지 않은 불특정인에게 물어보기를 좋아하고, 희망이 없는 친구들에게 의견 듣기를 좋아하고, 자기들은 대학교 교수보다 더 많은 생각을 하지만 장님보다 더 적은 일을 한다. 그들에게 물어보라. 그들이 과연 무엇을 할 수 있는지? 그들은 아마 섣불리 대답할 수 없을 것이다. 내 결론은 이렇다. 당신의 심장이 빨리 뛰는 대신 행동을 더 빨리하고, 그것에 대해 생각해 보는 대신 무엇이든 그냥 시작하라. 가난한 사람들은 위와 같은 공통적인 행동들 때문에 실패한다. 그들의 인생은 그저 기다리기만 하다가 끝이 나는 것이다. 현재 스스로에게 물어보라. '당신은 가난한 사람인가?'

”

(좋은 말이라서, 혹시라도 검색을 통해 한국인 분들께서 보실 수 있다면 좋을 것 같아 한국어로도 남깁니다.)

저의 이야기를 하나 들려드릴게요. 저와 한 동네에 살면서 초등학교, 중학교, 고등학교 모두 같은 학교를 다녔던 한 친구가 고교시절 유학을 떠났고 현지에서 큰 사업을 일으켜 부자가 되었습니다. 이 친구와 종종 연락을 주고받으면 제 인생이 한 단계 더 발전할 수 있도록 괜찮은 아이템이나 사업 아이디어를 조언해 줬습니다. 지금으로부터 15년 전, 당시 저는 사업이 너무나 힘들었던 시기를 겪었습니다. 매출은 떨어지고, 매입과 지출은 계속 늘어나고, 자금을 융통할 창구는 막혀서 정말 고생 많이 하던 시절이었습니다. 그러다 하루는 이 친구가 한국에 온다는 연락을 받았습니다.

바람이 서늘하게 불었던 가을밤, 저희는 서울의 남산타워가 보이는 시가 바에서 만나 함께 시가를 태우며 이런저런 대화를 나눴습니다. 당시 저는 이 친구에게 앞으로 제가 선택해야 할 부분들과 고민들에 대하여 솔직하게 털어놓았습니다. 그러자 이 친구는 "현 상황에 대한 정확한 판단력, 그리고 뭔가를 결정했다면 주저 없이 실천하는 실행력이 중요하다."라고 조언했습니다.

당시 저는 상황이 힘들어서 리스크를 줄이는 방향으로만 생각을 했었고, 그런 방향으로만 대화를 이어갔습니다. 그러자 이 친구가 “사람이 나이가 들면 겁이 많아져. 생각만 많고 행동은 안 하지. 그러다 기회를 놓치는 거야.”라고 조언했습니다. 그때 저는 이 친구의 조언을 듣고 망치로 머리를 맞은 것만 같았습니다.

이 친구의 말이 맞습니다. 일이 되려면 생각보다 실천이 중요합니다. 과도하게 많은 생각은 실천을 더디게 만들거나 아예 시작도 못하게 만듭니다. 특히나 요즘 같은 세상엔 판단이 서면 일단 움직이고 몸으로 직접 부딪혀본 다음에 생각을 하는 것이 좋습니다. 위에 언급한 마윈의 동기부여 명언 역시 바로 이런 문제를 지적합니다.

마윈이 언급한 '가난한 사람'이란, 단순히 돈이 없는 사람만을 뜻하는 게 아닙니다. 마음에 여유가 없고, 선택의 폭이 좁아서 생각을 폭넓게 할 수 없는 상황에 처한 사람까지 모두 포괄하는 의미입니다. 즉, 지금의 처지가 아무리 가난해서 여유가 없다고 하더라도 기회가 보인다면 일단 도전하는 자세가 중요합니다. 우리에게는 안전도 물론 중요하지만, 이 세상에는 리스크가 없는 기회란 존재하기 않습니다. 뭔가를 얻고 싶다면 지금 당장 행동부터 시작하세요.

I’m a professional hotel reviewer based in South Korea.
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