Alibaba CEO demanded staff live minutes from office

A recent book which tells the story of the rise of ecommerce giant Alibaba has revealed that company founder Jack Ma insisted that his employees lived no more than a few minutes away from work.

In Alibaba: The House that Jack Ma Built, author Duncan Clark explains the company’s roots and discusses the often “demanding culture” imposed on early Alibaba workers by Ma.

Clark wrote: “The earliest hires earned barely $50 per month. They worked seven days a week, often sixteen hours a day. Jack even required them to find a place to live no more than 10 minutes from the office so they wouldn't waste precious time commuting.”

According to NDTV.com, a spokesperson for Alibaba has confirmed that Ma did request that employees live no more than 15 minutes away from their office- however, they maintain he did this because employees worked so late that it wasn't considered safe to make a long commute.