Who (what) is Alibaba and why should we care?

You may know the story of Ali Baba, and the Forty Thieves. Ali Baba, "open sesame," and a loyal slave make Ali Baba a very rich man.

For a good look at a modern day Ali Baba (Jack Ma) this article, The Jack Ma Way, gives detail.

This story will give you more information than you want, but the first part gives you a picture of the Alibaba IPO (whatever that is).

The business media is making a BIG deal over this and it involves wealthy Chinese, Japanese, & U. S. investors.

So what is the modern day Alibaba?. Who is Jack Ma? What is an IPO and how does that impact us?