Sale to Yahoo gave Alibaba a future

Disputes between US web giant Yahoo and mainland e-commerce powerhouse Alibaba Group have made many headlines in the past few years.

So, in hindsight, would Alibaba chairman Jack Ma Yun have sold a 40 per cent stake in Alibaba to Yahoo in the first place?

The answer, he says, is yes.

"The co-operation with Yahoo was very important in the growth of Alibaba," Ma said. "If today I had an opportunity to rethink it, I would make the same decision."

He stressed that it was just an ordinary deal, albeit an important one.

"People like to legendise it, but in fact the whole thing was simple," Ma said.

It was as simple as the two firms accidentally meeting and deciding to team up. But when things reached a certain stage, both sides felt it was better to go their separate ways.