Origins & Early Life

Masayoshi Son (Japanese: 孫 正義; born Masayoshi Yasumoto, August 11, 1957) is a Japanese entrepreneur, investor, and philanthropist. A Zainichi Korean, he is the founder, chairman and chief executive of SoftBank Group (SBG), a technology-focused investment holding company, as well as chairman of UK-based Arm Holdings and US-based Stargate LLC. As an entrepreneur, he achieved notability in software distribution, computing-related book and magazine publishing, and telecommunications in Japan, starting in the 1980s and booming throughout the 1990s and 2000s. His early $20 million investment in Alibaba Group in 2000 grew substantially over the years, reaching a valuation of around $75 billion by 2014 following Alibaba's IPO, and contributing significantly to SoftBank's financial success.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

SoftBank's 27 percent stake in Alibaba was worth $132 billion in 2018, including additional purchases of the stock since 2000. The morphing of his own telecom company SoftBank Corp. into an investment management firm called SoftBank Group Corp. made him noted worldwide as a stock investor. He is known for his bold investment strategies, sometimes resulting in major losses, particularly with the first and...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The historical impact and works continue to influence the modern world.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Arturo Toscanini — Contemporary (Died in 1957) (1957): Intense Italian conductor, master of orchestral detail, and pivotal figure in 20th-century music.
• Constantin Brâncuși — Contemporary (Died in 1957) (1957): Pioneer of modern sculpture, Brâncuși emphasized clean lines and elemental forms.
• Diego Rivera — Contemporary (Died in 1957) (1957): Pioneering Mexican muralist whose frescoes defined modern Mexican art.
• Alex Haley — Shared historical date (08-11 · Born) (1921): Pioneering author of 'Roots,' who brought Black American genealogy to global prominence.
• Andrew Carnegie — Shared historical date (08-11 · Died) (1919): Scottish-American industrialist who pioneered the American steel industry and became a major philanthropist.
• Ernest Oppenheimer — Historical peer (Died in 1957) (1957): Pioneering South African mining magnate who controlled De Beers and founded Anglo American.
• Eugène Schueller — Historical peer (Died in 1957) (1957): Founder of L'Oréal, a pioneering figure in the modern cosmetics industry.
• Abraham Pais — Historical peer (Died in 2000) (2000): Pioneering physicist and acclaimed science historian of modern physics.
• Alec Guinness — Historical peer (Died in 2000) (2000): Iconic English actor celebrated for stage mastery and cinematic versatility.
• 2014 League of Legends World Championship — Historical peer (Born in 2014) (2014): The 4th League of Legends World Championship, held in Asia in 2014.
• 1957 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1957
• August 11 (08-11) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on August 11