This browser is not actively supported anymore. For the best passle experience, we strongly recommend you upgrade your browser.
| less than a minute read

SoftBank Founder Builds an Empire on Debt and Charm

One entrepreneur recently described Masayoshi Son as " kind of like an oracle". With his checkbook, charm and a cutthroat willingness to abandon some startups when necessary, the 60-year-old has turned SoftBank into one of the world’s most influential dealmakers.

With his checkbook, charm—and a cutthroat willingness to abandon some startups when necessary—the 60-year-old Mr. Son has turned SoftBank into one of the world’s most influential dealmakers. Armed with the $93 billion SoftBank Vision Fund, the world’s largest-ever tech investment fund, Mr. Son is now embarking on an unprecedented buying spree. SoftBank, which in recent years has bought control of U.S. telecom carrier Sprint and U.K. chip designer ARM, is now trying to buy a piece of Uber. And Mr. Son is reportedly near a deal to combine Sprint with T-Mobile US, giving him a big stake in what would be the third-largest wireless carrier in the U.S.

Tags

private equity