Masayoshi Son is a Japanese billionaire, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and investor. He is the founder representative director, corporate officer, chairman, and chief executive officer (CEO) of SoftBank Group Corp.
Founded in 1981 by Masayoshi Son, SoftBank Group Corp. is a Japanese multinational conglomerate holding company known for its major investments in technology, telecommunications, and venture capital. It has since evolved into one of the world’s most influential investors, particularly through its Vision Fund, which focuses on AI, robotics, and transformative technologies. The company has backed prominent tech firms, including Alibaba, Uber, and WeWork.
Apart from his numerous roles at SoftBank, Masayoshi Son is Arm Holdings’s chairman. Arm Holdings is a UK-based semiconductor and software design company based in Cambridge, England.
In 2013, Masayoshi Son was ranked 45th in Forbes magazine’s list of the World’s Most Powerful People. Almost a decade later, Son consistently ranks among the top 60 on Forbes’ list of the world’s billionaires and 135 on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. In 2024, he was also named among the 100 Most Influential People in AI by the Time Magazine.Â
Before Elon Musk, Son held the distinction of losing the most money in history. He had lost over $59 billion during the dot com crash of 2000 when his SoftBank shares plummeted.
| Masayoshi Son’s Personal Stats and Other Details | |
| Date of Birth | 11 August, 1957 |
| Age | 67 |
| Residence | Tokyo, Japan |
| Citizenship | Japan |
| Marital Status | Married to Masami Ohno |
| Children | Two |
| Education | Economics and Computer Science from the University of California, Berkeley |
| Current Net Worth and Salary (2024) | $30.8 billion |
| Companies | SoftBank |
| Achievements | Founder, Director, Chairman, and CEO of SoftBank |
This article will look into Masayoshi Son’s net worth, education, career, and more.
Vimal Kapur Net Worth – Honeywell CEO and Chairman
Masayoshi Son Net Worth
As of 2024, Masayoshi Son’s net worth stands at $30.8 billion. He is one of the richest people in the world. The majority of his net worth comes from his ownership and leadership of SoftBank, a multinational conglomerate that has investments in various technology companies around the world. He has the largest shares (426,661,164) in SoftBank, with a 34.2% stake in the company.Â
Education
Masayoshi Son’s educational journey began in Japan. There he received early advice from Den Fujita, president of McDonald’s Japan, to study English and computer science.
Following this guidance, he moved to California at age 16, attended Serramonte High, and rapidly completed his high school requirements in three weeks through exams.
He then enrolled at the University of California, Berkeley, where he pursued economics and computer science, majoring in economics.
While at Berkeley, Son developed an electronic translator, launching his early business career. He graduated with a B.A. in Economics in 1980.
Sharad Sanghi Net Worth – CEO and Co-founder of Neysa
Career
Masayoshi Son’s career began in the 1980s when he founded SoftBank as a software distributor in Japan. With an entrepreneurial drive, he quickly diversified SoftBank’s portfolio by investing in emerging technology companies, transforming the company into a major player in Japanese telecommunications and technology.
During the 1990s, Son strategically acquired stakes in rising internet companies, including Yahoo! Japan, helping SoftBank become a leading internet services provider in Japan.
In the 2000s, Son’s career took a bold turn with the acquisition of Vodafone Japan, rebranding it as SoftBank Mobile. This move positioned SoftBank as one of Japan’s largest mobile carriers, further consolidating its influence in telecommunications.
His keen eye for lucrative investments led him to buy a significant stake in Alibaba in 2000, which later became one of the most profitable bets in tech history. The success of this investment cemented Son’s reputation as a visionary investor.
In 2016, Son launched the SoftBank Vision Fund, raising over $100 billion to invest in transformative technologies such as artificial intelligence, robotics, and e-commerce. The Vision Fund reshaped venture capital by investing substantial sums into companies like Uber, WeWork, and ARM, taking big risks to back market leaders. Although some investments faced financial challenges, Son remained committed to backing technology that would drive future societal shifts. His high-risk, high-reward investment philosophy and resilience through setbacks have left a lasting impact on the global tech and finance landscape.
Latest Updates
Masayoshi Son recently said artificial superintelligence (ASI) could emerge by 2035 and be 10,000 times smarter than the human brain. He shared these insights during a conference in Riyadh, emphasizing that realizing ASI will require hundreds of billions of dollars in investments​ including substantial future investments in generative AI, estimating that achieving this technology could necessitate a staggering $900 trillion in capital for data centers and chips. ​
Jack Kokko Net Worth – AlphaSense Chief Executive Officer and Founder
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Who is Masayoshi Son?
Masayoshi Son is a Japanese billionaire, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and investor. He is the founder representative director, corporate officer, chairman, and chief executive officer (CEO) of SoftBank Group Corp.
How did Masayoshi Son become rich?
As of 2024, Masayoshi Son’s net worth stands at $30.8 billion. The majority of his net worth comes from his ownership and leadership of SoftBank. He also acquired significant net worth from his investments in prominent companies like Alibaba, Yahoo!, and Uber.
Who lost $70 billion?
SoftBank’s CEO Masayoshi Son lost almost $70 billion when the tech market crashed in 2000. As a result, his shares of SoftBank plummeted, leading to a loss of an estimated $59 to $70 billion.Â
