Masayoshi Son and Jack Ma, two of the xo biggest tech names in Asia, are in touch through a personal painting.SoftBank CEO Son (SFTBF) opened up about his latest exchange with Alibaba co-founder (BABA) during a earnings presentation on Monday, saying the two billionaires remain in touch after. Where most Ma disappear from public view for months.Alibaba has long been the crown jewel of SoftBank's portfolios, and Son and Ma are famously close - the Japanese entrepreneur invested $ 20 million in Alibaba 20 years ago, transforming that bet. That was $ 60 billion when Alibaba went public in 2014.

But "[we] don't always [talk] about business," Son said in response to questions about China's crackdown on Alibaba and its subsidiary Ma's Ant Group. "Send me a lot of drawings," said a Japanese businessman.Sun added that he always responds with his own creations, including sometime before coming into the night. "Thirty minutes before bed, I drew a picture ... [and] showed him.Alibaba has faced a confidence crisis in recent months as it faces scrutiny from Chinese regulators.Its shares fell 25 percent late last year, although it recovered earlier in the year. 2564 The adventure kicked off last fall when the Ant Group was gearing up for what would have the world's largest initial public offering.

Ma then accused the authorities of obstructing innovation and destroying Chinese banks because of the idea of ​​a pawnshop." Within days, regulators summoned Ma and Ant's executives to a meeting, and then suspended all IPOs.

Since then, the landscape has deteriorated for Alibaba and other Chinese tech companies, with regulators announcing an antitrust investigation into Alibaba. Ma was silent and canceled his appearance at a famous event before briefly revisiting last month, appearing in an online video he chats with teachers in China.Sun called Mom They had been "friends and friends" throughout their lives and previously said that before the Corona epidemic, they had dinner every month to keep up with work and life. The two men were on each other's board of directors until last year.

[SoftBank] remains Alibaba's largest shareholder and Alibaba remains our most important investment asset," Son wrote in the company's annual report in July.Asked about the regulatory risks on Monday, Son dismissed concerns, arguing that the controls were beneficial.These are necessary regulations, necessary laws," he told reporters. "I think what they are talking about now is something that has been done in the United States [and] in Europe, and that is not more than what we have seen in those countries.Son also used Alibaba as a case study for his own success on Monday, calling it a "golden egg" posed by SoftBank's "goose". "I understand many are concerned," he said, citing. Dear Alibaba "The business is going smoothly and growing.When asked why he thought Ma chose to speak against the Chinese government, Sun was displeased.