Masayoshi Son
Encyclopedia
Masayoshi Son born a Zainichi Korean
and now a naturalized Japanese
citizen, is a businessman and the founder and current chief executive officer
of SoftBank Capital
, and the chief executive officer
of SoftBank Mobile (the renamed, effective October 1, 2006, Vodafone K. K. ). According to Forbes
magazine, his net worth is $8.1 billion
as of 2011 and he is the richest man in Japan, despite being the person who has lost the most money in history (approximately $70 billion
in the dot com crash of 2000). Forbes also describes him as a philanthropist
.
president Den Fujita
. Taking his advice, Son began studying English
and computer science
.
At age 16, Son moved to California
and finished high school while staying with friends and family in South San Francisco. He attended the University of California, Berkeley
in which he majored in economics
and studied computer science
. Enamored by a microchip featured in a magazine, Son at age 19 became confident that computer technology would ignite the next commercial revolution.
Convinced that anything related to microchips could yield a fortune, Son decided to produce at least one entrepreneurial idea a day. He patented a translating device that he eventually sold to Sharp Electronics for $1 million. Applications of the patent include the Wizard series of Sharp
PDAs
.
Flush with cash, Son imported Space Invaders
video arcade
systems and dispersed them about the UC Berkeley campus. Soon after graduating from Berkeley with a BA in economics in 1980, Son started Unison
in Oakland, California
, which has since been bought by Kyocera
. In 1990, Son Masayoshi had adopted Japanese citizenship.
's stake in Yahoo! had dwindled to 7%, Son established Yahoo! BroadBand in September 2001 with Yahoo! Japan
in which he still owned a controlling interest. After a severe devaluation of SoftBank
's equity, Son was forced to focus his attention on Yahoo! BB and BB Phone. Using ADSL technology that could reach speeds upwards of 10 Mbit/s (new service can reach about 100 Mbit/s), Yahoo! BB currently reaches 4.3 million subscribers each paying about $20–$30 a month, but continues to lose about $100 million a month. So far, SoftBank
has accumulated about $1.3 billion in debt. Yet, Yahoo! BB acquired Japan Telecom
, the then third largest broadband and landline provider with 600,000 residential and 170,000 commercial subscribers. Yahoo! BB is now Japan's leading broadband provider.
Group announced it had agreed to sell Vodafone K.K.
to SoftBank
for approximately 1.75 trillion Japanese yen (approximately US$ 15.1 Billion). On April 14, 2006 SoftBank
and Vodafone K. K.
jointly announced, that the brand and company name Vodafone
will be changed to a "new, easy-to-understand and familiar company name and brand". Masayoshi Son is the CEO (Representative Director) of Vodafone K. K.
in 2011, Masayoshi Son criticized the nuclear industry for creating “the problem that worries Japanese the most today”, and engaged in investing in a nation-wide solar power
network for Japan.
Zainichi Korean
Koreans in Japan are the ethnic Korean residents of Japan. They currently constitute the second largest ethnic minority group in Japan. The majority of Koreans in Japan are Zainichi Koreans, also often known as Zainichi for short, who are the permanent ethnic Korean residents of Japan...
and now a naturalized Japanese
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
citizen, is a businessman and the founder and current chief executive officer
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
of SoftBank Capital
Softbank Capital
SoftBank Capital is a venture capital group in the United States, focusing on technology and telecom early stage businesses. The firm is established and led by four partners: Ron Fisher, Eric Hippeau, Steve Murray, and Michael Perlis...
, and the chief executive officer
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
of SoftBank Mobile (the renamed, effective October 1, 2006, Vodafone K. K. ). According to Forbes
Forbes
Forbes is an American publishing and media company. Its flagship publication, the Forbes magazine, is published biweekly. Its primary competitors in the national business magazine category are Fortune, which is also published biweekly, and Business Week...
magazine, his net worth is $8.1 billion
1000000000 (number)
1,000,000,000 is the natural number following 999,999,999 and preceding 1,000,000,001.In scientific notation, it is written as 109....
as of 2011 and he is the richest man in Japan, despite being the person who has lost the most money in history (approximately $70 billion
1000000000 (number)
1,000,000,000 is the natural number following 999,999,999 and preceding 1,000,000,001.In scientific notation, it is written as 109....
in the dot com crash of 2000). Forbes also describes him as a philanthropist
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
.
Background
A third-generation son of a Korean family in Japan, Son's family adopted the Japanese surname in daily life to avoid discrimination, and Son used this surname when he was a child. Son pursued his interests in business by securing a meeting with Japan McDonald'sMcDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
president Den Fujita
Den Fujita
Den Fujita was a wealthy Japanese founder of McDonald's Japan.- Background :Fujita was born in Osaka, Japan to a Christian mother and father who worked in a foreign company. Fujita, who was entirely ethnically Japanese, was reared differently from most other Japanese children...
. Taking his advice, Son began studying English
English studies
English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language , English linguistics English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language (including literatures from the U.K., U.S.,...
and computer science
Computer science
Computer science or computing science is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and of practical techniques for their implementation and application in computer systems...
.
At age 16, Son moved to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and finished high school while staying with friends and family in South San Francisco. He attended the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
in which he majored in economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
and studied computer science
Computer science
Computer science or computing science is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and of practical techniques for their implementation and application in computer systems...
. Enamored by a microchip featured in a magazine, Son at age 19 became confident that computer technology would ignite the next commercial revolution.
Convinced that anything related to microchips could yield a fortune, Son decided to produce at least one entrepreneurial idea a day. He patented a translating device that he eventually sold to Sharp Electronics for $1 million. Applications of the patent include the Wizard series of Sharp
Sharp Corporation
is a Japanese multinational corporation that designs and manufactures electronic products. Headquartered in Abeno-ku, Osaka, Japan, Sharp employs more than 55,580 people worldwide as of June 2011. The company was founded in September 1912 and takes its name from one of its founder's first...
PDAs
Personal digital assistant
A personal digital assistant , also known as a palmtop computer, or personal data assistant, is a mobile device that functions as a personal information manager. Current PDAs often have the ability to connect to the Internet...
.
Flush with cash, Son imported Space Invaders
Space Invaders
is an arcade video game designed by Tomohiro Nishikado, and released in 1978. It was originally manufactured and sold by Taito in Japan, and was later licensed for production in the United States by the Midway division of Bally. Space Invaders is one of the earliest shooting games and the aim is to...
video arcade
Video arcade
An amusement arcade or video arcade is a venue where people play arcade games such as video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, merchandisers , or coin-operated billiards or air hockey tables...
systems and dispersed them about the UC Berkeley campus. Soon after graduating from Berkeley with a BA in economics in 1980, Son started Unison
Unison
In music, the word unison can be applied in more than one way. In general terms, it may refer to two notes sounding the same pitch, often but not always at the same time; or to the same musical voice being sounded by several voices or instruments together, either at the same pitch or at a distance...
in Oakland, California
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
, which has since been bought by Kyocera
Kyocera
is a multinational manufacturer based in Kyoto, Japan. It was founded as in 1959 by Kazuo Inamori and renamed in 1982. The company has diversified its founding technology in ceramic materials through internal development as well as strategic mergers and acquisitions...
. In 1990, Son Masayoshi had adopted Japanese citizenship.
Yahoo! BB
Although SoftBankSoftBank
is a Japanese telecommunications and internet corporation, with operations in broadband, fixed-line telecommunications, e-Commerce, Internet, broadmedia, technology services, finance, media and marketing, and other businesses....
's stake in Yahoo! had dwindled to 7%, Son established Yahoo! BroadBand in September 2001 with Yahoo! Japan
Yahoo! Japan
is a Japanese internet company formed as a joint venture between the American internet company Yahoo! and the Japanese internet company SoftBank. It is headquartered at Midtown Tower in the Tokyo Midtown complex in Akasaka, Minato, Tokyo.-History:...
in which he still owned a controlling interest. After a severe devaluation of SoftBank
SoftBank
is a Japanese telecommunications and internet corporation, with operations in broadband, fixed-line telecommunications, e-Commerce, Internet, broadmedia, technology services, finance, media and marketing, and other businesses....
's equity, Son was forced to focus his attention on Yahoo! BB and BB Phone. Using ADSL technology that could reach speeds upwards of 10 Mbit/s (new service can reach about 100 Mbit/s), Yahoo! BB currently reaches 4.3 million subscribers each paying about $20–$30 a month, but continues to lose about $100 million a month. So far, SoftBank
SoftBank
is a Japanese telecommunications and internet corporation, with operations in broadband, fixed-line telecommunications, e-Commerce, Internet, broadmedia, technology services, finance, media and marketing, and other businesses....
has accumulated about $1.3 billion in debt. Yet, Yahoo! BB acquired Japan Telecom
Japan Telecom
SOFTBANK TELECOM Corp. Japanese: , previously as , is a Japanese telephone company of the SoftBank group. It is a load in JNR in the origin. It provides services to businesses and consumers in Japan. It provides long-distance telephone service, international call service, and direct connection...
, the then third largest broadband and landline provider with 600,000 residential and 170,000 commercial subscribers. Yahoo! BB is now Japan's leading broadband provider.
Vodafone K. K.
On March 17, 2006 VodafoneVodafone
Vodafone Group Plc is a global telecommunications company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's largest mobile telecommunications company measured by revenues and the world's second-largest measured by subscribers , with around 341 million proportionate subscribers as of...
Group announced it had agreed to sell Vodafone K.K.
Vodafone Japan
, previously as Vodafone K.K. and J-PHONE, is the Japanese subsidiary company of mobile phone operator SoftBank.Masayoshi Son is CEO and Representative Director.-Technology:...
to SoftBank
SoftBank
is a Japanese telecommunications and internet corporation, with operations in broadband, fixed-line telecommunications, e-Commerce, Internet, broadmedia, technology services, finance, media and marketing, and other businesses....
for approximately 1.75 trillion Japanese yen (approximately US$ 15.1 Billion). On April 14, 2006 SoftBank
SoftBank
is a Japanese telecommunications and internet corporation, with operations in broadband, fixed-line telecommunications, e-Commerce, Internet, broadmedia, technology services, finance, media and marketing, and other businesses....
and Vodafone K. K.
Vodafone Japan
, previously as Vodafone K.K. and J-PHONE, is the Japanese subsidiary company of mobile phone operator SoftBank.Masayoshi Son is CEO and Representative Director.-Technology:...
jointly announced, that the brand and company name Vodafone
Vodafone
Vodafone Group Plc is a global telecommunications company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's largest mobile telecommunications company measured by revenues and the world's second-largest measured by subscribers , with around 341 million proportionate subscribers as of...
will be changed to a "new, easy-to-understand and familiar company name and brand". Masayoshi Son is the CEO (Representative Director) of Vodafone K. K.
Investment in Solar Power
In response to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disasterFukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster
The is a series of equipment failures, nuclear meltdowns, and releases of radioactive materials at the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant, following the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami on 11 March 2011. The plant comprises six separate boiling water reactors originally designed by General Electric ,...
in 2011, Masayoshi Son criticized the nuclear industry for creating “the problem that worries Japanese the most today”, and engaged in investing in a nation-wide solar power
Solar power
Solar energy, radiant light and heat from the sun, has been harnessed by humans since ancient times using a range of ever-evolving technologies. Solar radiation, along with secondary solar-powered resources such as wind and wave power, hydroelectricity and biomass, account for most of the available...
network for Japan.
Genealogy
- Son family (Yasumoto family)
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Masaaki Masayoshi Masanori Taizo