Alibaba Group founder and billionaire Jack Ma has defended the gruelling overtime work culture at many of China’s tech companies, calling it a “huge blessing” for young workers. The e-commerce magnate weighed into a debate about work-life balance and the overtime hours demanded by some companies as the sector slows after years of breakneck growth. In a speech to Alibaba employees, Ma defended the industry’s ‘996’ work schedule, which refers to the 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. workday, six days a week.
