Masayoshi Son
Masayoshi Son (孫 正義, Son Masayoshi, born 11 August 1957) is a Japanese billionaire technology entrepreneur, investor, and philanthropist. He is the founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of the Japanese holding company SoftBank, CEO of SoftBank Mobile and chairman of UK-based Arm Holdings.[2]
Masayoshi Son | |
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![]() Masayoshi Son in 2008 | |
Born | |
Nationality | Japanese |
Citizenship | Japan |
Education | University of California, Berkeley (BA) |
Occupation | Entrepreneur, investor, philanthropist |
Known for | Principal founder of Softbank |
Net worth | US$41.1 billion (January 2021)[1] |
Title | Chairman, president and CEO of Softbank |
Spouse(s) | Masami Ohno |
Children | 2 |
According to Forbes, Son's estimated net worth is US$30 billion, making him the second richest man in Japan,[1] despite having the distinction of losing the most money in history (approximately $70bn during the dot com crash of 2000).[3]
Son was named the world's 45th most powerful person by Forbes Magazine's List of The World's Most Powerful People.[4]
As of July 2020, Son ranks 32nd on the Forbes list of The World's Billionaires 2020,[5][6] and ranks 2nd in Japan[7] with an estimated net worth of $30 billion.[8]
Early life and education
Masayoshi Son was born in Tosu, (鳥栖市, Tosu-shi) a city in the eastern part of Saga Prefecture on the island of Kyushu, Japan.[9][10][11]
Son is a 3rd generation "Zainichi Korean", which are ethnic Koreans with permanent residency or citizenship in Japan.[12]
At age 16, Son moved from Japan to California and finished high school in three weeks by taking the required exams at Serramonte High while staying with friends and family in South San Francisco. Son attended the University of California, Berkeley, where he majored in engineering. Enamoured by a microchip featured in a magazine, Son at age 19 became confident that computer technology would ignite the next commercial revolution.[13]
His first business endeavours began as a student. With the help of some professors, Son created an electronic translator that he sold to Sharp Corporation for $1.7 million. He made another $1.5 million by importing used video game machines from Japan, on credit, and installing them in dormitories and restaurants.[10] Son pursued his interests in business by securing a meeting with Japan McDonald's president Den Fujita. Taking his advice, Son began studying English and computer science.[14]
Son graduated from Berkeley with a B.A. in Economics in 1980,[15] and started Unison in Oakland, CA, which has since been bought by Kyocera. Son's family had adopted the Japanese surname Yasumoto (安本), and Son had used that surname as a child.[10] He decided to use his Korean surname instead on returning to Japan from the U.S.,[16] and became a role model for ethnic Korean children in Japan.[16]
Yahoo! and Alibaba
Son was an early investor in internet firms, buying a share of Yahoo! in 1995 and investing a $20 million stake into Alibaba in 1999. Son's holding company SoftBank owns 29.5% of Alibaba, which is worth around $108.7 billion as of 23 October 2018.[17][18][19] Although SoftBank's stake in Yahoo! had dwindled to 7%, Son established Yahoo! BroadBand in September 2001 with Yahoo! Japan in which he still owned a controlling interest. After a severe devaluation of SoftBank's equity, Son was forced to focus his attention on Yahoo! BB and BB Phone. So far, SoftBank has accumulated about $1.3 billion in debt. Yet, Yahoo! BB acquired Japan Telecom, the then third largest broadband and landline provider with 600,000 residential and 170,000 commercial subscribers. Yahoo! BB is now Japan's leading broadband provider. In June 2020, Son stepped down from the Alibaba board.[20]
Arm Holdings
In July 2016, SoftBank announced plans to acquire Arm Holdings for £23.4 billion ($31.4 billion) which would be the largest ever purchase of a European technology company. In September 2016, SoftBank announced that the transaction was complete. The total acquisition price was approximately £24 billion ($34 billion).[21][17]
Sprint Corporation
Through his holdings in SoftBank, Son bought a 76% share in Sprint. SoftBank has further accumulated shares in Sprint to about 84% ownership.[22][23]
Investment in solar power
In response to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster in 2011, Masayoshi Son criticized the nuclear industry for creating "the problem that worries Japanese the most today",[24] and engaged in investing in a nationwide solar power network for Japan.[25] In March 2018, it was announced that Son was investing in the biggest ever solar project, a 200GW development planned for Saudi Arabia as part of its Vision 2030.[26]
In July 2018, coverage indicated that Son "would underwrite most of 100 GW" of a planned 275 GW of new renewable provision in India by 2027.[27]
Personal life
Son met his wife, Masami Ohno, while in university. They have two daughters.[28] He lives in Tokyo in a three-story mansion that is valued at $50 million and that has a golf range with technology to mimic the weather conditions and temperature of the world’s top golf courses. He has also bought a home near Silicon Valley in Woodside, California, that cost him $117 million. He owns the SoftBank Hawks, a professional Japanese baseball team.[29] Son has three brothers and is the second oldest of the siblings. His youngest brother, Taizo Son, is a serial entrepreneur and investor, having founded GungHo Online Entertainment and the venture capital firm Mistletoe.[30]
Philanthropy
In 2011 Son pledged to donate 10 billion yen ($120 million) and his remaining salary until retirement to support victims of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.[31]
Vision Fund Investments
SoftBank's investment vehicle, the $100 billion Vision Fund, invests in emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, robotics and the internet of things.[32] It aims to double its portfolio of AI companies from 70 to 125.[33] It also invests in companies to revolutionise real estate, transportation, and retail. Son makes personal connections with the CEOs of all companies funded by Vision Fund.[34] Son plans to raise $100 billion for a new fund every few years, investing about $50 billion a year in startups.[35] A second Vision Fund is currently in the works with a target of $108 billion, of which $38 billion would come from Softbank itself.[36] As of 2020, the fund has invested in 88 companies including Coupang,[37] Didi,[38] Doordash,[39] Fanatics,[40] Grab,[41] Oyo,[42] Paytm,[8] and Uber.[43]
References
- "Forbes profile: Masayoshi Son". Forbes. Archived from the original on 7 January 2018. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
- "Masayoshi Son's $58 Billion Payday on Alibaba". Bloomberg.com. 8 May 2014. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
- Sorkin, Andrew Ross (13 December 2010). "A Key Figure in the Future of Yahoo". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 21 May 2012. Retrieved 7 April 2012.
- Caroline Howard. "No. 45: Masayoshi Son - In Photos: The World's Most Powerful People: 2013". Forbes. Archived from the original on 11 October 2017. Retrieved 4 September 2017.
- https://www.forbes.com/profile/masayoshi-son/?list=rtb#253595203818 Retrieved July 24, 2020
- "Forbes Billionaires 2020". Forbes. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
- Karmali, Naazneen. "Japan's 50 Richest 2020: Despite Pandemic, Their Total Wealth Dropped By Only 5%". Forbes. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
- "Masayoshi Son". Forbes. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
- Pham, Sherisse (7 December 2016). "SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son: A 'crazy' billionaire obsessed with the future". Archived from the original on 27 September 2017. Retrieved 20 September 2017.
- Andrew Pollack (19 February 1995). "A Japanese Gambler Hits the Jackpot With Softbank". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 25 February 2018. Retrieved 10 December 2017.
- Martin, Alex (7 February 2019). "Masayoshi Son: Betting big and winning". Japan Times Online. Archived from the original on 23 February 2019. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
- "不遇の環境を乗り越え、世界的実業家へ 孫正義の成功までの道のり". Forbes Japan (in Japanese). 15 March 2020. Archived from the original on 15 March 2020. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
- Inoue, Atsuo (2013). "2: Grade Skipping". Aiming High: A Biography of Masayoshi Son. YouTeacher. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
- "The David Rubenstein Show: Masayoshi Son". Bloomberg. 11 October 2017. Archived from the original on 22 October 2017. Retrieved 21 October 2017.
- "Masayoshi Son". Business week. Retrieved 27 March 2013.
- "CEO revealed Korean roots to inspire youths facing bigotry in Japan". Nikkei Asian Review. Archived from the original on 7 April 2018. Retrieved 21 March 2017.
- "Masayoshi Son goes on a $100bn shopping spree". The Economist. Archived from the original on 11 December 2017. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
- Sender, Henny; Ling, Connie (18 January 2000). "Softbank to Invest $20 Million In Hong Kong's Alibaba.com". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Archived from the original on 22 January 2018. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
- Pfanner, Eric (19 September 2014). "SoftBank's Alibaba Alchemy: How to Turn $20 Million Into $50 Billion". WSJ. Archived from the original on 12 December 2017. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
- "SoftBank's Masayoshi Son steps down from Alibaba board, defends his investing decisions". CNBC. 25 June 2020. Archived from the original on 11 July 2020. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
- "SoftBank completes $31 billion acquisition of ARM". The Verge. Archived from the original on 29 December 2017. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
- "U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission - Homepage". sec.gov. Archived from the original on 24 February 2011. Retrieved 18 July 2020.
- "SoftBank is in Big Trouble if Sprint T-Mobile Merger Doesn't Happen". wccftech.com. 6 May 2019. Archived from the original on 3 June 2019. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
- Penn, Michael (23 April 2011). "Masayoshi Son Castigates the Nuclear Industry". Shingetsu Blog. Archived from the original on 22 November 2011. Retrieved 31 August 2011.
- Yasu, Mariko (23 June 2011). "Softbank's CEO Wants a Solar-Powered Japan". Bloomberg BusinessWeek. Archived from the original on 2 September 2011. Retrieved 23 August 2011.
- Pham, Sherisse (28 March 2018). "SoftBank wants to build the world's biggest solar project in Saudi Arabia". CNNTech. Archived from the original on 28 March 2018. Retrieved 28 March 2018.
- Buckley, Tim (3 July 2018). "IEEFA op-ed: India is helping bring the era of coal to an end". IEEFA.org. Archived from the original on 27 January 2020. Retrieved 27 January 2020.
- hermes (12 December 2016). "SoftBank's Masayoshi Son, the 'crazy guy who bet on the future". Archived from the original on 13 November 2017. Retrieved 13 November 2017.
- Ghurye, Shruti (23 February 2019). "10 Things You Didn't Know About Masayoshi Son". Archived from the original on 23 February 2019. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
- Ghurye, Shruti (23 February 2019). "Serial Entrepreneur Taizo Son Finds A Welcoming Laboratory For His High-Tech Ideas". Archived from the original on 23 February 2019. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
- Alpeyev, Pavel (4 April 2011), "Softbank's Son pledges 120 million salary for quake relief", Bloomberg, archived from the original on 13 April 2014, retrieved 9 March 2017
- "SoftBank's $100 Billion Vision Fund Is Run by These 10 Men". www.bloomberg.com. Archived from the original on 16 January 2019. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
- Brooker, Katrina (14 January 2019). "The most powerful person in Silicon Valley". Fast Company. Archived from the original on 16 January 2019. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
- Sherman, Alex (1 August 2018). "Masayoshi Son building Vision Fund into family, say founders". www.cnbc.com. Archived from the original on 16 January 2019. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
- Ghurye, Shruti (7 February 2019). "Masayoshi Son: Betting big and winning". Archived from the original on 23 February 2019. Retrieved 7 February 2019.
- Klebnikov, Sergei. "SoftBank Launches Second Vision Fund With $2.5 Billion Investment: Report". Forbes. Archived from the original on 19 February 2020. Retrieved 19 February 2020.
- "SoftBank-Backed Korean Unicorn Coupang Prepares for IPO as Soon as 2021". Bloomberg.com. 8 January 2020. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
- Reuters Staff (29 May 2020). "SoftBank leads $500 million fundraising for Didi's self-driving unit". Reuters. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
- "SoftBank Soars on $11 Billion DoorDash Gain, Buyout Prospect". Bloomberg.com. 10 December 2020. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
- Baker, Liana B. (6 September 2017). "Sports e-commerce firm Fanatics closes $1 billion funding round led by SoftBank". Reuters. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
- Choudhury, Saheli Roy (6 March 2019). "Grab is now valued at $14 billion after landing $1.46 billion from SoftBank's Vision Fund". CNBC. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
- "Masayoshi Son's Impatience Just Cost $17 Billion". Bloomberg.com. 13 April 2020. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
- "Uber's Biggest Investors". Investopedia.com. 16 April 2020. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
External links
- Masayoshi Son, AXA Talents, 1 August 2006, archived from the original on 18 June 2006.
- "Masayoshi Son: The CEO who lost $70bn in a day before conquering the world", Hot Topics, 2014