The Alibaba co-founder hasn’t been seen in a public setting for about two months, after Chinese regulators halted Ant Group’s planned US$37-billion IPO listing in November. He recently missed an appearance as a judge on a reality TV show, which a company spokesperson said was due to a scheduling conflict. (Reuters, The Logic)

Talking point: “I think he’s been told to lay low,” said Duncan Clark, chairman of BDA China, a Beijing-based tech consultancy. Before the planned IPO, Ma called state-owned banks “pawn shops.” Since regulators kiboshed the listing, Ma has reportedly told the Chinese government it could “take any of the platforms” of Ant Group. Meanwhile, China has taken steps to regulate its tech industry, including assigning government officials to oversee 100 companies and drafting antitrust rules for the sector. The country’s antitrust regulators have since started to scrutinize Alibaba for alleged monopolistic business practices.