Alibaba’s purchase of Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post

Alibaba buys South China Morning Post is being compared to Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ acquisition of The Washington Post. Both deals involve e-commerce giants buying faltering newspapers
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Chairman Jack Ma
Purchase, 2015: $266m
South China Morning Post (SCMP) Founded 1903 (112 years old)
Circulation, 2014: 102,000
Alibaba: Founded 1999 (16 years)
Revenue, 2014: $12bn
Head office: Hangzhou, China
Purchase includes group assets such as local versions of Cosmopolitan, ELLE, Esquire, Harper’s Bazaar and other leading magazines, as well as advertising businesses

CEO Jeff Bezos
Purchase, 2013: $250m
The Washington Post Founded 1877 (138 years)
Circulation, 2012: 475,000
Amazon: Founded 1994 (21 years)
Revenue, 2014: $89bn
Head office: Seattle, U.S.
Bezos buys newspaper through his personal Nash Holdings company (not through Amazon). Purchase includes several U.S. regional titles and armed forces publications

NEWSPAPER GROUP NET PROFITS (10 years prior to purchase)
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 $350 million
Washington Post Company earns $131m (newspaper loses $53.7m)
SCMP Group earns $17.7m (newspaper contributes $7.7m)

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Sources: Quartz, Entrepreneur Media, wire agencies
Pictures: AP