Masayoshi Son

Masayoshi Son is a Japanese billionaire technology entrepreneur, investor, and philanthropist. Here are key points about him:

Early Life and Education

• Born on August 11, 1957, in Tosu, Saga Prefecture, Japan.
• Third-generation Zainichi Korean, meaning he is an ethnic Korean with permanent residency or citizenship in Japan.
• His grandfather, Son Jong-kyung, moved from Daegu to Japan during the Japanese colonial period.
• His father, Son Sam-heon, raised pigs and chickens on land owned by Japan National Railways and started an illegal sake business.
• Son attended the University of California, Berkeley, where he studied economics and computer science, graduating in 1980.

Career

• Founded SoftBank Group Corp. in 1981, which started as a software vendor and later became a major telecommunications operator in Japan.
• Invested in various companies, including Yahoo!, Alibaba, and WeWork, with mixed success.
• Established the SoftBank Vision Fund in 2017, which aimed to invest in emerging technologies like AI, robotics, and the internet of things.
• Has been criticized for his investment decisions, particularly in the Vision Fund, which has experienced significant losses.

Companies

• SoftBank Group Corp., a strategic technology-focused investment holding company.
• SoftBank Corp., a telecommunications company that was spun out of SoftBank Group Corp.
• Arm Holdings, a UK-based company acquired by SoftBank Group Corp.
• Alibaba Group, in which SoftBank Group Corp. holds a significant stake.

Awards and Achievements

• Ranked 45th on Forbes’ list of the World’s Most Powerful People in 2013.
• Ranked 55th in 2018.
• As of 2023, he ranks 69th on the Forbes list.

Philanthropy

• Invested in solar power projects in Japan and Saudi Arabia.
• Supported the development of a nationwide solar power network in Japan after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster.

Personal Life

• Married to Masami Ohno, daughter of a prominent Japanese doctor.
• Has two daughters.
• Lives in Tokyo in a $50 million mansion with a golf range and owns a home in Woodside, California, valued at $117 million.
• Owns the SoftBank Hawks, a professional Japanese baseball team.

Net Worth

• As of 2024, his net worth is approximately $2.07 billion.

Industry

• Technology, telecommunications, and investment.

Education Background

• Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of California, Berkeley.

Age and Children

• 67 years old.
• Has two daughters.

Main Sources of Wealth

• SoftBank Group Corp. and its investments.

Published Works

• None mentioned.

Philanthropic Foundation

• None mentioned.

Trivia

• Son is known for his unconventional management methods and has been criticized for his investment decisions.
• He has been called a gambler and has been dubbed the worst investor ever due to his poor track record with the Vision Fund.