Alibaba vs Rakuten: Founders, CEOs and History
Alibaba was founded in 1999 by Jack Ma (Ma Yun), Joe Tsai (Tsai Chung-hsin) and is led by Eddie Wu. Rakuten was founded in 1997 by Hiroshi Mikitani and is led by Hiroshi Mikitani.
Company facts
Founders
Alibaba
Jack Ma (Ma Yun)
Jack Ma (born Ma Yun on September 10, 1964) founded Alibaba in 1999, embarking on a journey that would reshape the modern Chinese economy.
Joe Tsai (Tsai Chung-hsin)
Joe Tsai served as Alibaba's Executive Vice Chairman from 2013 until 2023 and became Non-Executive Chairman following the retirement of Jack Ma. In September 2023 he was elevated to Chairman of the Board.
Rakuten
Hiroshi Mikitani
Hiroshi Mikitani founded Rakuten in 1997 after leaving the Industrial Bank of Japan, and has led it as chairman and CEO since.
CEOs and their tenures
Alibaba
- Jack Ma1999–2013
Founder and Chief Executive Officer
He stepped down as chief executive in May 2013 and remained executive chairman until 2019.
Source - Jonathan Lu2013–2015
Chief Executive Officer
The $25 billion offering was the largest IPO to that date. Daniel Zhang succeeded him in May 2015.
Source - Daniel Zhang (Zhang Yong)2015–2023
Former CEO and Chairman, Alibaba Group
Daniel Zhang served as Alibaba's CEO from 2015 to 2023, overseeing the company's growth from a primarily domestic e-commerce platform into a diversified technology conglomerate with global ambitions.
Source - Eddie Wu (Wu Yongming)2023–present
Chief Executive Officer, Alibaba Group
Eddie Wu was appointed CEO of Alibaba Group in September 2023, succeeding Daniel Zhang who had led the company since 2015.
Source
Rakuten
- Hiroshi Mikitani1997–present
Founder, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer
Founded Rakuten in 1997 and still leads it as chairman and CEO. Built Ichiba, expanded into card, banking and brokerage, mandated English internally in 2010, and launched Rakuten Mobile.
Source - Masatada Kobayashi1997–2024
Co-Founder
Masatada Kobayashi co-founded Rakuten alongside Hiroshi Mikitani. He was instrumental in establishing the early technical and operational framework of the Rakuten Ichiba marketplace, laying the groundwork for its expansion into a global internet services ecosy…
Source
Timeline: Alibaba and Rakuten side by side
1997Rakuten
MDM, Inc. (Rakuten) Founded by Hiroshi Mikitani in Tokyo
Launched Rakuten Ichiba online shopping mall with 13 merchants and 5 employees.
1999Alibaba
Alibaba.com Launched
Jack Ma and 17 co-founders launch Alibaba.com from a Hangzhou apartment with $60,000 in pooled savings, creating a B2B online marketplace connecting Chinese manufacturers with international buyers.
1999Alibaba
First Major Investment from SoftBank
Masayoshi Son invests $20 million in Alibaba in a meeting reportedly lasting five minutes, alongside $5 million from Goldman Sachs, providing survival capital through the imminent dot-com crash.
2000Rakuten
Initial Public Offering on JASDAQ
Listed publicly in Tokyo, fueling rapid e-commerce and digital service expansion.
2001Alibaba
Gold Supplier Program Launch
Alibaba launches the Gold Supplier verified membership program at $3,000 per year, generating approximately $10 million in first-year revenue and proving the B2B marketplace model's commercial viability.
2003Alibaba
Taobao Launches to Challenge eBay
Alibaba secretly develops and launches Taobao, a consumer-to-consumer marketplace offered free to both buyers and sellers, directly targeting eBay's Chinese market position. Within three years, Taobao surpasses eBay's Chinese market share.
2004Alibaba
Alipay Escrow Service Created
Alibaba creates Alipay as a payment escrow solution for Taobao transactions, holding buyer funds until delivery confirmation before releasing payment to sellers solving the trust barrier that was limiting online commerce adoption.
2004Rakuten
Launch of Professional Baseball Team (Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles)
Became the first new NPB baseball franchise in 50 years, establishing national brand trust.
2005Rakuten
Entry into FinTech with Rakuten Card & Bank Acquisitions
Acquired credit card and banking operations, creating the financial engine of the Rakuten Ecosystem.
2008Alibaba
Tmall (Taobao Mall) Launch
Alibaba launches a premium B2C marketplace initially called Taobao Mall (later rebranded Tmall), allowing established brands to operate official storefronts with higher trust credentials and enabling Alibaba to serve the premium consumer segment.
2009Alibaba
Alibaba Cloud Founded
Alibaba launches Alibaba Cloud (Aliyun) as a cloud computing business, a decade ahead of many enterprise adoption cycles, positioning it to become Asia Pacific's dominant cloud provider.
2010Rakuten
Pioneered 'Englishnization' Corporate Language Mandate
Made English the official internal working language of Rakuten, attracting global engineering talent.
2010Rakuten
Buy.com Acquired
Rakuten bought the US online retailer Buy.com in 2010 for about $250 million.
2011Alibaba
First Singles' Day Shopping Festival
Alibaba transforms the informal 'Singles' Day' celebration on November 11 into a promotional shopping event on Taobao and Tmall, generating ~$130 million (936 million yuan) in sales a figure that would grow more than 100-fold in subsequent years.
2011Rakuten
Acquired Kobo Inc.
Rakuten acquired Kobo Inc. for $315 million.
2014Alibaba
Record-Breaking NYSE IPO
Alibaba completes its initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange on September 19, 2014, raising $25 billion the largest IPO in US stock market history at that time at a valuation of approximately $168 billion.
2014Rakuten
Viber and Ebates Acquired
Rakuten bought the messaging app Viber for about $900 million and the cashback site Ebates for about $1 billion in 2014.
2019Alibaba
Dual Listing on Hong Kong Stock Exchange
Alibaba completes a secondary listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, raising an additional $13 billion and broadening its investor base among Asian institutional and retail investors, reducing dependence on US capital markets.
2020Rakuten
Commercial Launch of Rakuten Mobile Open RAN Network
Launched the world's first fully virtualized cloud-native 4G/5G mobile telecommunications network.
2021Alibaba
Record Antitrust Fine
Chinese regulators impose a 18.23 billion yuan ($2.8 billion USD) antitrust fine on Alibaba following a months-long investigation into its 'choose one from two' exclusivity practices at the time, the largest antitrust fine in Chinese regulatory history.
2023Alibaba
Six-Business-Unit Restructuring Announced
Alibaba announces its most significant organizational restructuring, dividing the company into six independent business units each with its own CEO and board: Taobao Tmall Group, Cloud Intelligence Group, Alibaba International Digital Commerce Group, Cainiao S…
2024Rakuten
Rollout of Platinum Band (700 MHz) & Rakuten Symphony Expansion
Commercialized sub-1 GHz frequencies in Japan and expanded global Open RAN software exports.
2025Rakuten
FY2025 Revenue Reaches ¥2.50 Trillion
All three segments grew, lifting revenue 9.5% to ~$16.7 billion (¥2,496.6 billion).
2026Rakuten
First Quarterly Net Profit Since 2020 and Fintech Reorganization
Q2 2026 net income of ~$182 million (¥27.2 billion) on record revenue of ~$4.46 billion (¥665.5 billion); Rakuten Card and Rakuten Securities Holdings move under a new Rakuten Bank group in October 2026.
Acquisitions
Alibaba
- Sun Art Retail Group (Auchan Retail China)2020$3.6B
- Ele.me2018$9.5B
- Trendyol (stake investment)2018$750M
- Lazada2016$1B
- Youku Tudou2016$3.7B
- AutoNavi Holdings Limited2014Undisclosed
Rakuten
- Ebates (Rakuten Rewards)2014$1B
- Viber Media2014$900M
- Kobo Inc.2011$315M
Questions about Alibaba vs Rakuten
Who is the CEO of Alibaba Group Holding Limited and Rakuten?
Alibaba Group Holding Limited is led by Eddie Wu and Rakuten is led by Hiroshi Mikitani. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was Alibaba Group Holding Limited founded vs Rakuten?
Rakuten was founded in 1997 — 2 years before Alibaba Group Holding Limited, which was founded in 1999. Rakuten's longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger Alibaba Group Holding Limited.
How many employees does Alibaba Group Holding Limited have compared to Rakuten?
Alibaba Group Holding Limited employs approximately 131,462 people, while Rakuten employs approximately 33,000. Alibaba Group Holding Limited has the larger workforce at 131,462 employees, compared to Rakuten's 33,000. A higher headcount does not necessarily imply greater efficiency — it often reflects differences in business model (e.g., manufacturing vs. software).
Where are Alibaba Group Holding Limited and Rakuten headquartered?
Alibaba Group Holding Limited is headquartered in China and Rakuten is headquartered in Japan. Their different home markets mean they may face different regulatory frameworks, tax regimes, and currency exposure.
Who founded Alibaba Group Holding Limited and Rakuten?
Alibaba Group Holding Limited was founded by Jack Ma (Ma Yun), Joe Tsai (Tsai Chung-hsin). Rakuten was founded by Hiroshi Mikitani.
Which company has a longer operating history — Alibaba Group Holding Limited or Rakuten?
Rakuten has been operating for approximately 29 years, making it the more established of the two companies. Alibaba Group Holding Limited has been in operation for around 27 years. A longer operating history often signals greater institutional resilience and brand recognition, though it can also mean slower adaptation to new market conditions.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the Alibaba vs Rakuten overview