The name's Ma, Jack Ma

In a timely nod to the latest Bond flick, Casino Royale, Alibaba.com's Jack Ma reveals in an IHT interview that "I've learned a lot of business philosophy by playing poker". He goes on to suggest that "I'm not very good, because I don't want to calculate, I just play by instinct".

Well, his instincts seem to be serving him well in business as the article earlier reveals that "Last year, Taobao's transaction volume, or gross merchandise volume, reached $1 billion, an eightfold increase from the previous year".

And finally, we think more companies in Asia might benefit from sharing this philosophy: "You should learn from your competitor, but never copy. Copy and you die." A bluntness worthy of that other poker player du jour, 007.