When parents tell their child that they are the smartest child in the world and they will be awesome, often it is more of a statement of encouragement than a prophecy. For Masayoshi Son, when his father said to him, “You are a genius, No. 1 in Japan; you’ll be a big hit,” that was a prophecy. The boy grew up to be the 45th richest man in the world and, in his father’s words, the richest man in all of Japan.
He is considered one of the top philanthropists and recently announced a $100 billion contribution to fund various startups around the world. The tech investor has a presence in three of the world’s leading countries and is considered one of the leading minds in the tech space. So who is Masayoshi Son? what is his background and how did he earn his money? Read below to find out.
Who is Masayoshi, son of Softbank?
Although he is a man with strong ties to Japan, both culturally and commercially, Masayoshi’s ancestry is Korean. His grandparents had moved to Japan from Korea, seeking a better life. Upon resettlement, his family took the name Yasumoto as part of their efforts to integrate into Japanese society. When Masayoshi grew up, he returned to Son to encourage Korean children who grew up in Japan to embrace their heritage.
Son, from the very beginning of his life had apassion for business. His passion led him to meet Den Fujita, Japanese president of McDonald’s, when he was a teenager. Den Fujita advised him to go into the IT sector. At the time, very few of the millions of people in the world had any idea what computers could or could become.
Understanding the full scope of what pursuing a career in computer science would entail, he would move to America, began taking English lessons while simultaneously learning about the field of computer science.
When Masa, who rose to popularity in the tech industry, was 16, he moved to California and graduated from high school after three weeks. His graduate studies lasted two years at Holy Names University and the University of California, Berkeley. At Berkeley, he majored in economics and majored in computer science.
Convinced of the future of computers, he made his first foray into the IT sector by designing an electronic translator. Sony Corporation bought it for $1.7 million and it earned $1.5 million by importing video game machines and installing them in public spaces. He started his first company, Unison, after graduating from UC Berkeley in 1980.
Masayoshi Son is a man who made his money as an early investor in various high-tech companies, a journey that began with Yahoo! and Alibaba. Its investments in Alibaba currently stand at $108.7 billion as of October 2018; he invested $20 million in the e-commerce company in 1999. His early investment in Yahoo helped him build the Yahoo BB! which is currently the largest broadband provider in Japan.
SoftBank (His holding company, Tokyo-based Japanese multinational holding conglomerate) was established in 1981. Since its inception, the company has made several acquisitions. He bought Vodafone KK in 2006. He is also the owner of ARM Holdings, acquired in a deal concluded in September 2016.
The tycoon’s reputation for believing in the best of humanity and using technology to improve human lives prompted him to invest in solar power to eliminate the dangers of the nuclear industry and respond directly to the tragedy that struck Fukushima in his home country, Japan.
Son, known as a high-risk investor is also a philanthropist and one of the greatest on the planet. It is estimated that he has dedicated more than $500 million to philanthropy, including $119 million for children who lost their parents in the Tohoku earthquake.
What is his net worth?
Masayoshi Son is currently worth $23 billion. His wealth comes from investments in several successful companies such as Alibaba, US Telecom, Sprint and Yahoo! Japan. It also owns a Japanese baseball team, Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks.
Who is the woman?
They say behind every successful man there is a strong woman being a pillar of support and the case is no different with Masayoshi Son. The billionaire met his wife, Masami Ohno, when he was a student in California. Masami’s is a doctor’s daughter and she’s two years older than the billionaire, but that didn’t stop their happiness from getting married after school.
The couple have two daughters, but Masayoshi prefers to keep his personal life private and as a result there is little information about his wife and daughters at this time.