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The Rise, Fall, and Reinvention of Masayoshi Son: SoftBank's Visionary Gambler

,   and  Jax
5 min read

Key Takeaways

  • Masayoshi Son, born to poor Korean immigrants in Japan, rose to become one of the world's most renowned investors, briefly becoming the richest man in the world in 2000
  • Son's career has been defined by spectacular successes (Yahoo, Alibaba) and failures (WeWork, Vision Fund losses), with a persistent question: is he a tech visionary or merely a lucky gambler?
  • As an outsider in Japanese society, Son developed an extraordinary risk appetite and relentless drive to prove himself through increasingly ambitious ventures
  • SoftBank's business model relies heavily on leveraged investments, taking advantage of decades of near-zero interest rates in Japan
  • Son is currently betting heavily on artificial intelligence, including a $64 billion plan to transform SoftBank into an AI powerhouse centered around chip designer Arm
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