China's clampdown on big tech puts more billionaires like Jack Ma on notice

Wednesday's selloff sent Alibaba shares down 7%, while analysts estimated that Ant's $280 billion valuation could be cut in half due to stricter regulations. Both companies were co-founded by Jack Ma

Xi Jinping’s Communist Party stepped up efforts to rein in some of China’s most powerful companies, jolting investors and dealing a blow to the country’s richest entrepreneurs.

Beijing on Tuesday unveiled regulations to root out monopolistic practices in the internet industry, seeking to curtail the growing influence of corporations like Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. and Tencent Holdings Ltd. The rules, which sent both stocks tumbling over two frenetic days and sparked a wider selloff in Chinese equities, landed about a week after new restrictions on the finance sector triggered the shock suspension of Ant Group Co.’s $35 billion initial public offering.

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