TOKYO -- Alibaba Group bids farewell to its 56-year-old founder on Wednesday as Jack Ma, the English teacher-turned-entrepreneur, officially steps down from the board of the Chinese e-commerce giant.

Jack Ma performs onstage during Alibaba's 20th anniversary party in Hangzhou, China on Sept.10, 2019. During the event, Ma stepped down as chairman of the company. © Reuters
Teacher-turned-entrepreneur pioneered the world's largest e-commerce market