Net Worth
$10B
Global Rank
#99
Source
SoftBank
Country
Japan
$How Masayoshi Son Built Their Fortune
Masayoshi Son is the founder, chairman, and CEO of SoftBank Group, one of the world's most influential technology investment companies, and a visionary whose bold bets on the future of technology have reshaped entire industries. His audacious investment style, willingness to think in 300-year timeframes, and genuine belief that technology will solve humanity's greatest challenges have made him one of the most fascinating and impactful business leaders of the modern era. From his early investment in Alibaba to the creation of the Vision Fund, Son has consistently demonstrated an ability to see the future before others.
Born in Japan to ethnic Korean parents, Son overcame significant social challenges to become one of the world's most successful entrepreneurs. He moved to the United States at age 16, studied at UC Berkeley, and was deeply inspired by the potential of microprocessors after reading about them in a magazine. He returned to Japan and founded SoftBank in 1981, initially as a software distribution company. Through relentless ambition and an extraordinary ability to identify transformative technology trends, he built SoftBank into a global technology conglomerate with investments in hundreds of the world's most innovative companies.
Son's $20 million investment in Alibaba in 2000 — which grew to be worth over $100 billion — stands as one of the most successful venture investments in history. His creation of the $100 billion Vision Fund in 2017 was equally audacious, establishing the largest technology investment fund ever assembled and providing capital to hundreds of ambitious startups working on artificial intelligence, transportation, healthcare, and other frontier technologies. Son's unwavering optimism about technology's potential to improve human life and his willingness to make massive bets on that belief have made him a singular figure in global business.
vs$10B in Perspective
To put Masayoshi Son's $10B fortune into context, here's what that wealth could buy:
Median U.S. household incomes
At $59,384/year
Median U.S. homes
At $420,000 each
Tesla Model 3s
At $38,990 each
Four-year college degrees
At $108,000 average
NFL franchises
At $4.7B average
Private islands
At $15,000,000 each
Key Wealth Milestones
1981
Founded SoftBank in Tokyo as a software distribution company, beginning a four-decade journey of building one of the world's most influential technology conglomerates.
1996
Invested $100 million in Yahoo, marking SoftBank's entry into internet investing and establishing a partnership that created Yahoo Japan.
2000
Made the legendary $20 million investment in Alibaba after a brief meeting with Jack Ma, trusting his instinct about the founder and the opportunity in Chinese e-commerce.
2016
Acquired ARM Holdings for $32 billion, positioning SoftBank at the center of the global semiconductor ecosystem powering mobile and IoT devices.
2017
Launched the $100 billion SoftBank Vision Fund, the largest technology investment fund in history, with backing from Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund and others.
Where Masayoshi Son Ranks
Top 41% of the world's wealthiest · 167 tracked
Nearest by Rank
Richest People in Japan
Masayoshi Son on Wealth & Success
“I am not a genius. I just work very, very hard. And I have vision — I think about the next 30 years, the next 300 years.”
“In 30 years, artificial intelligence will have an IQ of 10,000. I believe this will be the biggest revolution in human history.”
“I invest in people who have a big vision and the capability to execute. The most important thing is the entrepreneur.”
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AI-Generated Content — This profile was created using AI and publicly available sources. While we strive for accuracy, details may contain errors or be outdated. Quotes may be paraphrased or taken out of context. Achievements and figures are based on public reporting and may not be precise. This profile does not imply endorsement by the individual featured. Not financial advice.