How Many Shares Did Alibaba Sell in Their IPO?

The year of Alibaba’s IPO, or initial public offering, remains unclear. Investors have often asked: “How many shares did Alibaba sell in their IPO?” But it is difficult to say exactly how much the company raised in the offering. Typically, the company enters into a contract with a lead underwriter, or investment bank, to sell the shares. Underwriters then approach investors to make an offer.

Alibaba’s IPO was the first of a wave of Chinese firms that will go public between 2013 and 2021. The IPO boom has spurred U.S. investors to rush into the Chinese tech sector. In the United States, institutional investors own more than $200 billion in Chinese American Depository Receipts, which allow American investors to buy shares in Chinese companies. However, Didi Global’s $4.4 billion IPO last year effectively put a stop to the IPO boom in the U.S. after Chinese regulators cracked down on the ride-hailing company’s security practices.