Core Insights - Charlie Munger considered his investment in Alibaba one of the worst mistakes of his career, but recent market trends suggest that Alibaba's stock may be recovering [1][6][10] Company Performance - Alibaba's stock has increased by 56% in 2023 and 74% since Munger's death in November 2023, reaching its highest levels since November 2021, although it remains less than half of its peak in October 2020 [1] - Munger initially bought 165,000 American depositary shares (ADS) of Alibaba in Q1 2021, increasing the stake to about 602,000 shares worth $72 million by the end of 2021, which represented 28% of Daily Journal's US stock portfolio [3] Investment Strategy - Munger reduced Daily Journal's holding in Alibaba to 300,000 shares in Q2 2021, maintaining that position until shortly before his death [4] - In Q1 2024, Daily Journal further cut its stake to 195,000 shares valued at $16.5 million [4] Market Context - Munger criticized Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma for his public comments about the Chinese government, which led to regulatory actions against Alibaba and its affiliate Ant Group [5][6] - Despite Munger's negative outlook, Alibaba's recent performance indicates it may not be as disastrous as he feared, and it could potentially turn into a successful investment [10]
The late Charlie Munger said investing in Alibaba was a huge mistake. He might have been wrong.