Masayoshi Son Bio, Age, Net Worth, and Business Ventures (Chairman & CEO SoftBank) | MonetizeSmartly
Age: 60+ years
Masayoshi Son Net Worth: $30 Billion + (Approx.)
Masayoshi Son is a Japanese entrepreneur and the founder and CEO of SoftBank Group Corp., a multinational conglomerate headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. On August 11, 1957, he was born in Tosu, Saga, Japan.
Before studying at the University of California, Berkeley, Son attended Serramonte High School in Daly City, California. He later dropped out of college to pursue a business career.
In 1981, Masayoshi Son started a software distribution business in Japan called SoftBank Corp. The company quickly expanded into publishing computer magazines and providing computer-related services. SoftBank became one of the first companies to invest in internet-related businesses in the 1990s, including Yahoo! Japan.
Masayoshi Son's greatest success came in 1995 when he invested $20 million in a little-known internet company called Alibaba, which eventually became one of the world's largest e-commerce companies. SoftBank's stake in Alibaba has been a significant source of wealth for Son, and he is now one of the richest people in Japan.
Under Son's leadership, SoftBank has also become a major investor in the technology sector. In 2017, SoftBank launched the Vision Fund, which raised over $100 billion to invest in promising tech startups. The Vision Fund has made investments in companies like Uber, WeWork, and Slack.
Masayoshi Son has been recognized for his business achievements with numerous awards, including the Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 1997 and 2010 from Ernst & Young. He was also included in Time magazine's list of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2006 and 2015.
In addition to his business pursuits, Son is known for his philanthropy. He has donated billions of dollars to charity, including $2 billion to start the SoftBank Foundation in 2020. The foundation aims to support education and healthcare initiatives around the world.
He is of Korean descent: Son's parents were ethnic Koreans who lived in Japan. This fact is not widely known because Son is known as a Japanese businessman.
He lost $70 billion in a single day: In 2020, SoftBank reported a record loss of $18 billion, which caused Son's net worth to drop by $70 billion in a single day.
He was a young billionaire: Son became a billionaire at the age of 34 when SoftBank went public in 1994. At the time, he was one of the youngest billionaires in the world.
He has a black belt in karate: Son began practicing karate at the age of 16 and earned a black belt by the time he was 18.
He has a passion for music: Son is an accomplished musician who enjoys playing the guitar and composing music. He even released an album in 1993 called "Inspiration."
He has made unconventional investments: Son has invested in some unusual companies, such as a startup that plans to mine asteroids and a company that is developing a technology to create artificial humans.
He is a big believer in Singularity: Son has expressed his belief in Singularity, which is the point at which artificial intelligence surpasses human intelligence. He has stated that he believes the Singularity will occur by 2047.
Masayoshi Son Family Life :
Masayoshi Son keeps his personal life private and does not publicly disclose much information about his family. However, it is known that he is married to Masami Ohno, who is a trained economist and former SoftBank executive. They have two children together.
Son has spoken publicly about how his family has influenced his business decisions. He has said that his father, who was an immigrant to Japan, instilled in him a sense of resilience and determination. Son has also credited his wife for helping him make difficult decisions and providing support during challenging times.
Despite his busy work schedule, Son has also expressed the importance of spending time with his family. He has said that he tries to have dinner with his family at least twice a week and takes vacations with them when possible.
Masayoshi Son Business Ventures :
Masayoshi Son is known for his diverse business ventures and his willingness to take risks on innovative and unconventional ideas. A few of his business ventures are listed below :
SoftBank Corp: In 1981, Son founded SoftBank Corp, a software distribution company that later expanded into publishing computer magazines and providing computer-related services.
Yahoo! Japan: SoftBank was one of the first companies to invest in internet-related businesses in the 1990s, including Yahoo! Japan, which is now one of the largest internet companies in Japan.
Alibaba Group: In 1999, SoftBank invested $20 million in Alibaba, a little-known Chinese internet company at the time. SoftBank's stake in Alibaba has been a significant source of wealth for Son, and he has called it his best investment ever.
Sprint Corporation: In 2013, SoftBank acquired a controlling stake in Sprint Corporation, a major American telecommunications company. The acquisition was one of the largest ever by a Japanese company.
Vision Fund: In 2017, SoftBank launched the Vision Fund, which raised over $100 billion to invest in promising tech startups. The Vision Fund has made investments in companies like Uber, WeWork, and Slack.
Boston Dynamics: In 2017, SoftBank acquired Boston Dynamics, a robotics company known for its innovative robots such as Spot, the four-legged robot that can run, climb stairs, and open doors.
Arm Holdings: In 2020, SoftBank sold its chip-designing company Arm Holdings to Nvidia for $40 billion, making it one of the largest semiconductor deals in history.
SoftBank Vision Fund 2: In 2021, SoftBank launched Vision Fund 2, which raised $30 billion to invest in startups focusing on AI, robotics, and other cutting-edge technologies.
These are just a few examples of the diverse business ventures that Masayoshi Son has pursued throughout his career. He is known for his willingness to take risks on innovative ideas and his ability to identify promising technologies and companies.
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