Pony Ma
Co-founder and CEO of Tencent, maker of WeChat
- Age
- 55 yrs
- Birthday in 358 days
- Works listed
- 0
- Career highlights
- Honours
- 0
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Pony Ma is a Chinese businessman who co-founded Tencent in Shenzhen in 1998 and leads it as chairman and CEO. Tencent’s QQ messenger and WeChat super-app are used by more than a billion people, and it is the world’s largest video-game company by revenue.
Biography
Background
Ma studied computer science at Shenzhen University and worked on paging software at China Motion Telecom. His English name “Pony” comes from his surname Ma, meaning horse.
In 1998 he co-founded Tencent with university friends. Its OICQ messenger, later QQ, inspired by ICQ, became hugely popular, making money from virtual goods.
Tencent launched WeChat in 2011, led by Allen Zhang. It combined messaging, payments, mini-programs and social media into one app central to daily life in China.
Games and investments
Tencent owns Riot Games and stakes in Epic Games and many others. Ma is also a deputy in China’s National People’s Congress.
Timeline
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1971
Born in Chaoyang, Guangdong, China
-
1998
Co-founds Tencent
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1999
OICQ launched
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2004
Tencent listed in Hong Kong
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2011
WeChat launched
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2011
Invests in Riot Games
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2012
Buys a stake in Epic Games
Did you know?
-
1
He is known for keeping a low public profile.
-
2
Tencent’s mascot is a penguin.
-
3
He was named to Time’s 100 most influential people in 2007 and later.
Frequently asked
Who is Pony Ma?
Pony Ma is a Chinese businessman who co-founded Tencent in Shenzhen in 1998 and leads it as chairman and CEO. Tencent’s QQ messenger and WeChat super-app are used by more than a billion people, and it is the world’s largest video-game company by revenue.
How old is Pony Ma?
Pony Ma is 55 years old, born on 29 October 1971 in Chaoyang, Guangdong, China.
Where is Pony Ma from?
Pony Ma was born in Chaoyang, Guangdong, China.
What is Pony Ma known for?
Pony Ma is best known for Co-founding Tencent (1998); QQ; WeChat; gaming investments.
References
- Pony Ma — Wikipedia. Wikipedia. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Pony Ma — Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Pony Ma (Q1739008) — structured data. Wikidata. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
Includes material from the Wikipedia article “Pony Ma”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. That text is available under the same licence. Learn more
External links
About this profile
- Researched by the TrackFame editorial team; reviewed by Sanjay Sokal under our editorial policy
- First published 4 November 2026
- Last updated
Cite this page
“Pony Ma.” TrackFame, last updated 4 November 2026. https://trackfame.com/person/pony-ma
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