PONY MA

摘要

Soft-spoken, boyish, reclusive: the words come up repeatedly in descriptions of Pony Ma. But while the founder of Tencent-the Chinese online giant that combines gaming and e-commerce with the QQ and WeChat messaging services-may have a low-key manner, he's also an undisputed rock star. At Internet conferences in China, young people mob him, trying to snap selfies. The company he co-founded in 1998 has grown to such heights that Ma's name is routinely found on all the Chinese equivalents of the TIME 100 list. But he hasn't just built a successful business. In China's unique cultural landscape-from its mobile-savvy population to its one-child familieshe has tapped into something timeless and universal: a longing for connection.