Masayoshi Son

Masayoshi Son is a Korean-Japanese technology entrepreneur, investor, and philanthropist. He is the founder and CEO of the Japanese holding company SoftBank, CEO of SoftBank Mobile and chairman of UK-based Arm Holdings. He is well known for his $20 million early stake into Alibaba in 1999.

According to Forbes magazine, Son's estimated net worth is US$30.5 billion, and the richest man in Japan, despite having the distinction of losing the most money in history (approximately $70 billion during the dot com crash of 2000).

Son was named the world's 45th most powerful person by Forbes Magazine's List of The World's Most Powerful People in 2013 and was ranked at number 43 on the Forbes list of The World's Billionaires 2019, with a net worth of $22.9 billion.

His first business endeavors began as a student. With the help of some professors, Son invented an electronic translator that he sold to Sharp Corporation for $1.7 million. He made another $1.5 million by importing used video game machines from Japan, on credit, and installing them in dormitories and restaurants.

Son is also a philanthropist and activist. In 2011, he pledged to donate 10 billion yen ($120 million) and his remaining salary until retirement to support victims of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. Additionally, Son engaged in investing in a nationwide solar power network for Japan in response to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster in 2011.

Son graduated from UC Berkeley with a B.A. in Economics in 1980. He lives in Tokyo with his wife and two daughters.