Qi Lu Wan Bao·2025-08-14 02:40Core Insights - Alibaba Group's former partner Cai Jingxian has officially left the company, with his status on internal and external platforms indicating a "retirement from the industry" [1] - Cai, known as "Duolong," was one of the three developers in the initial Taobao team and is recognized as Taobao's first programmer [4][6] - He joined Alibaba on August 1, 2000, and has served for 25 years, playing a crucial role in developing Taobao's trading and forum systems, as well as managing the search engine from 2003 to 2007 [4][9] Summary of Related Sections - Background and Contributions: Cai Jingxian, born in 1976, graduated from Zhejiang University with a degree in biology and was not formally trained in computer science. He became a key figure in Taobao's development, often referred to as a "technical guru" within Alibaba [6][7] - Career Milestones: Cai was recognized for his deep technical knowledge and ability to engage in high-level decision-making. He became an Alibaba partner in 2014 and was listed on the Hurun Wealth List in 2017 with a net worth of 2.6 billion yuan [9][10] - Recent Changes in Partnership: Following Alibaba's "1+6+N" structural transformation, Cai exited the partner list. The number of partners has been reduced from a peak of 38 to 17, marking the lowest since Alibaba's IPO in 2014 [11][12] - Current Partnership Composition: The remaining partners primarily consist of core business leaders and technical heads, with only four original founders remaining. The trend of reducing the partner count has been ongoing, with several partners stepping down in recent years [11][12]