HONG KONG -- When billionaire Jack Ma flew to Hangzhou on the morning of March 27, few could have predicted the domino chain of events that would shortly unfold.

"My biggest mistake was that I made Alibaba," Jack Ma once told investors. "I never thought this thing would change my life. I was just trying to run a small business." © Getty Images
Company's 'soft breakup' aims to boost flagging growth and draw line under feud with Beijing