Masayoshi Son

Early Life and Background

Masayoshi Son was born on August 11, 1957, in Tosu, Saga Prefecture, Japan, as the second of four children. His family belonged to the Zainichi Korean minority, a group of ethnic Koreans living in Japan who are descendants of those who immigrated or were forcibly brought to Japan during the Japanese colonial rule of Korea. The family adopted the Japanese surname 'Son' in 1957, though they were originally known as 'Yasumoto' (安本) in Japan, which was a Japanese phonetic representation of their Korean surname, Son (손). His father was a pig farmer, and the family faced significant discrimination during his upbringing due to their Korean heritage. From a young age, Son demonstrated an entrepreneurial spirit and a keen interest in business and technology. He was inspired by McDonald's founder Ray Kroc and often sought advice from mentors, including Den Fujita, the founder of McDonald's Japan, on how to succeed in business.

Education

At the age of 16, Masayoshi Son moved from Japan to the United States, initially settling in California. He attended Serramonte High School in Daly City for a short period before transferring to Holy Names University in Oakland, California, where he completed his high school education in just three weeks by taking a series of exams. This accelerated path allowed him to enroll at the University of California, Berkeley. While at Berkeley, Son pursued studies in economics and computer science, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics in 1980. During his time as a student, he displayed remarkable ingenuity and an early knack for innovation. He earned his first million dollars by developing and patenting an electronic translator, which he sold to Sharp Corporation. He also imported and sold arcade games, demonstrating his entrepreneurial drive even before completing his university studies.

Career

Upon returning to Japan in 1981, Masayoshi Son founded SoftBank, initially named 'Nihon SoftBank,' meaning 'Japan SoftBank.' The company started as a software distributor, importing and distributing PC software. Over the years, SoftBank rapidly diversified and expanded its operations. In the mid-1980s, Son ventured into publishing, launching popular computer magazines like 'Oh!PC' and 'PC Magazine Japan,' which quickly became leading publications in the Japanese market. He also established a modem-based dial-up internet service provider, setting the stage for SoftBank's future in the internet sector. A pivotal moment came in 1996 when SoftBank formed a joint venture with Yahoo! Inc. to create Yahoo! Japan, which swiftly became and remains one of Japan's most dominant internet portals. This marked SoftBank's significant entry into the internet content and services space. In 2000, Son made one of his most prescient investments, putting $20 million into the then-nascent Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba Group, founded by Jack Ma. This investment would eventually grow to be worth hundreds of billions of dollars, becoming one of the most successful venture capital investments in history. SoftBank further expanded into telecommunications by acquiring the Japanese operations of Vodafone in 2006 for approximately $15 billion, rebranding it as SoftBank Mobile and transforming it into a major mobile carrier in Japan. In 2013, SoftBank made another large acquisition, purchasing a majority stake in the U.S. telecommunications company Sprint Corporation for roughly $21.6 billion, aiming to compete with major U.S. carriers. However, Sprint faced significant challenges, eventually leading to its merger with T-Mobile US in 2020. In 2017, Son launched the SoftBank Vision Fund, a monumental technology-focused venture capital fund with initial capital exceeding $100 billion, backed by sovereign wealth funds from Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi. The Vision Fund aimed to invest in disruptive technologies and startups globally, making significant investments in companies like Uber, WeWork, Arm Holdings, ByteDance (TikTok's parent company), and numerous others. This fund fundamentally reshaped the landscape of late-stage venture capital.

Major Achievements

Masayoshi Son's career is marked by several groundbreaking achievements. He transformed SoftBank from a small software distributor into a global technology and telecommunications powerhouse with significant holdings across various sectors, including broadband, fixed-line telecommunications, e-commerce, and technology investments. His strategic foresight in investing early in internet infrastructure and pioneering mobile services in Japan positioned SoftBank at the forefront of the digital revolution. The investment in Alibaba Group in 2000 is widely considered one of the most successful venture capital deals ever, generating returns of thousands of percent and solidifying SoftBank's reputation as a shrewd investor. The establishment of the SoftBank Vision Fund, with its unprecedented scale, demonstrated Son's ambition to be a dominant force in shaping the future of technology globally. He successfully acquired and integrated major telecommunications assets like Vodafone Japan and Sprint (though the latter's journey was more complex), demonstrating his capacity for large-scale corporate mergers and acquisitions. He is consistently ranked among the wealthiest individuals in Japan and globally, a testament to his entrepreneurial success and investment acumen.

Personal Life

Masayoshi Son is married to Masami Ohno. The couple has two daughters. Despite his immense wealth and public profile as a business leader, Son maintains a relatively private personal life. He is known for his intense work ethic and long-term vision, often speaking about his 30-year and 300-year plans for SoftBank. He has faced significant health challenges, including a battle with hepatitis in the early 1990s, which he overcame. Son is also known for his philanthropic efforts, particularly after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami, when he pledged a significant portion of his wealth to support victims and promote renewable energy. He is a passionate advocate for technological advancement and often speaks about the singularity and the future of artificial intelligence, believing it will revolutionize society.

Legacy

Masayoshi Son's legacy is defined by his audacious vision, unparalleled risk-taking, and his profound impact on the global technology and investment landscape. He built SoftBank into an empire through a combination of strategic acquisitions and visionary investments, often anticipating major technological shifts long before others. His early investment in Alibaba and the creation of the SoftBank Vision Fund have cemented his reputation as one of the most influential venture capitalists and corporate strategists of his era. While his aggressive investment style and some of the Vision Fund's high-profile bets, such as WeWork, have faced scrutiny and challenges, his willingness to invest in disruptive technologies at scale has fundamentally altered how startups are funded and scaled globally. Son is seen as a transformative figure who constantly pushes the boundaries of what is possible in business and technology, leaving behind a legacy of innovation, ambition, and a relentless pursuit of future-defining opportunities.