It has also been reported that Ma practiced tai chi at economic forum and has let loose at company's annual event – for its 10-year anniversary celebration he was a silver-hair punk rocker, singing a song from the Lion King, and, another year he was blonde Snow White in a puffy dress. Much circulated stories such as these have deflated Western stereotypes of Chinese companies as tradition dominated, dull and fixated on the bottom line. The Alibaba narrative rea ds more like your typical Silicon Valley start-up than Sinopec, China's state-run oil company. In truth, working at Alibaba also has its share of stress and shouting matches, according to past and current employees, and intense pressure comes in equal parts with camaraderie and success.