15 quotes that show the strange, relentless genius of billionaire Alibaba founder Jack Ma (BABA)

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Jack Ma, founder and chairman of the Chinese internet behemoth Alibaba, built his empire through charisma and perseverance.

He founded Alibaba in 1995, and back in the mid-2000s, reporters used to call him "Crazy Jack" because of his animated speeches and bold claims. 

Today, his company has a market value of nearly $200 billion. Not bad for a man who failed his college entrance exams twice and started his career as a poor schoolteacher.

Here are some of the memorable gems he's dropped over the years:

On not giving up: "Today is cruel. Tomorrow is crueler. And the day after tomorrow is beautiful."

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On people: "Hire the person best suited to the job, not the most talented. This can be a very painful lesson. There’s no point putting in a Boeing jet engine when you need to run a tractor."

Dongguan Network Operators Meeting, March 2005 via "Never Give Up"

On ethics: "Never deceive others, in business or in life. In 1995, I was deceived by four companies — four companies that are now closed. A company cannot go far by deceit."

Shanghai Network Operators Meeting, July 2005 via "Never Give Up"