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Helping doing business easier, we choose the name Alibaba because it is a global company. It is founded in China, but it was created for the world.

Yahoo to me, as the founder of a company, is one of the biggest opportunities you could have; it's one of those classic Internet companies.

My dream was to set up my own e-commerce company. In 1999, I gathered 18 people in my apartment and spoke to them for two hours about my vision. Everyone put their money on the table, and that got us $60,000 to start Alibaba. I wanted to have a global company, so I chose a global name.

I think Yahoo is a great company, with great assets.

When I joined Google, they asked me what title I wanted. I said, 'What about archduke?' They said, 'Well, that didn't meet our nomenclature. Why don't you be our Chief Internet Evangelist?' This was in 2005.

It's fantastic to be known as a company that responds quickly to users, shares great resources and friendly banter with them over Twitter, and forges relationships on Pinterest, Facebook, and every other social media site out there.

Facebook, Google, Apple, Yahoo - there's a common theme. None of these companies ever sold. By staying independent, they were able to build a great company.

I wasn't aware I was trading on my good name; I've never had a good name.

I name my companies things that are intentional, that are specific, that are worthy of ridicule if you are anything other.