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Pony Ma
Co-founding Tencent, the company behind QQ and WeChat.
QQ’s beginnings · Online games
- Born
- 29 October 1971
- Birthplace
- Shantou, China
More people
Pony Ma
Pony Ma, also known as Ma Huateng, is a Chinese technology entrepreneur. Tencent grew from an instant-messaging business into a major company spanning communication, games and digital services.
Early life
Move to Shenzhen
His family moved there when his father took a port-management job.
Computer studies
Graduated from Shenzhen University in 1993.
Career
- 1990s
Telecommunications software
Developed software for pagers and internet-calling services.
- 1998
Tencent founded
Established the company with four co-founders.
- 2004
Public listing
Tencent listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange.
- 2011
WeChat launch
The company introduced its mobile messaging platform.
Companies & projects
QQ’s beginnings
Launched the messaging service initially called OICQ.
Online games
Expanded Tencent’s gaming and virtual-goods business.
A mobile service that grew beyond messaging into payments and other everyday functions.
Beyond work
Philanthropy
Committed Tencent shares to his charitable foundation in 2016.
Public office
Served as a delegate to China’s National People’s Congress.
Sources & photo credit
Life, career and references ↗Tencent corporate history ↗Photo: 中国新闻网. CC BY 3.0 · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
