Ma Huateng to announce shock retirement from business?

Sad news for Huateng fans. Speculation had been rife that Tencent's boss is about to announce his retirement from business, at age 54, with immediate effect.

UPDATE 20/03/2026 : This story seems to be false. (read more)

Being a business man isn't fun anymore

“As we get older, there are phases of life that we enter into, and being a business man just isn't fun anymore,” he might have said, says a source who remained anonymous. Other reports hinted that he may branch out into other creative fields he is better at (and more interested in), though they didn't provide any details.

#ThankYouMa

For a little while on Thursday evening, #ThankYouMa was a trending hashtag on Twitter. As many fans reminisce and look back on all the unforgettable memories, some may wonder what about now made him make the decision.

“Ma Huateng was unlike any other business man we’ve ever seen! #ThankYouMa”
— @universalObserver, 19 Mar 2026

“I thought Ma Huateng retired about 5 years ago?!?”
— @millythom, 19 Mar 2026

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