Jack Ma popped up randomly on Alibaba's staff forum only to deliver a rare criticism of his company's performance

• Jack Ma resurfaced once again and made a surprising post on Alibaba's staff forum.
• Responding to an employee, the Alibaba cofounder wrote that his company needs fundamental change.
• Ma's return to the spotlight has also involved a pivot to the food and agriculture industries.

Jack Ma, cofounder of Alibaba, has been keeping a low profile since the 2020 regulatory crackdown on his business empire — which makes his sudden reappearance on Alibaba's internal forums all the more striking.

Responding to an employee's forum post on Wednesday, Ma emphasized the need for change within Alibaba in a post seen by Business Insider. Representatives of Alibaba declined to comment on the matter.