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Masayoshi Son

The latest news on billionaire technology entrepreneur, investor and philanthropist Masayoshi Son, CEO of SoftBank, including Japanese business news and updates.

Born

11 Aug 1957

Industry

Technology, Business

Job Title

Founder, chairman and CEO of SoftBank Group

A staff member demonstrates a humanoid robot at the Lens Technology booth during the China International Supply Chain Expo in Beijing on June 22, 2026. Photo: Reuters

Robotics

China’s robot rush: Morgan Stanley raises 2026 forecast to 50,000 units

China’s humanoid robot industry is scaling faster than expected, with Xpeng, Unitree and others accelerating mass production.

24 Jun 2026 - 6:30PM

IPO

The world’s 5 largest-ever IPOs, before Elon Musk’s SpaceX listing

10 Jun 2026 - 8:00PM

Artificial intelligence

Divergent AI growth paths emerge from China, US amid bubble concerns: CICC

21 Jan 2026 - 9:30AM

China Future Tech briefing

AI | China chases superintelligent AI without sci-fi movie risks

AI systems with human-level intelligence, or higher, offer the promise of solutions to humanity’s biggest challenges but the risk of humans losing control.

12 Dec 2025 - 1:18PM

China chases superintelligent AI without sci-fi movie risks

Artificial intelligence

SoftBank shares dive after Nvidia sale spooks AI-wary market

‘I can’t say if we’re in an AI bubble or not,’ SoftBank’s finance chief says, adding that the sale is a necessary financing measure.

12 Nov 2025 - 10:10AM

Robotics

SoftBank strikes deal to acquire ABB’s robotics business for US$5.4 billion

The deal marks a significant push by SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son into robotics, as he expands investment after a period of retrenchment.

8 Oct 2025 - 3:50PM

Semiconductors

Japan’s SoftBank to invest US$2 billion in Intel as part of US push

SoftBank has been expanding its US footprint, including a recent deal to buy Foxconn’s electric vehicle plant in Ohio.

19 Aug 2025 - 9:43AM

Softbank

SoftBank’s growing stakes in Nvidia and TSMC show focus on AI gear

Son eyes a more central role in the spread of AI with SoftBank’s access to some of the semiconductor supply chain’s most lucrative parts.

5 Aug 2025 - 5:07PM

Artificial intelligence

A sun-baked ‘Shenzhen’? SoftBank pitches TSMC on US$1 trillion AI hub in Arizona

Son envisions a version of China’s manufacturing hub of Shenzhen that would bring high-tech manufacturing to the US, sources told Bloomberg.

20 Jun 2025 - 4:29PM

Semiconductors

Nvidia CEO blasts US AI chip restrictions on China as a ‘failure’

‘Power is quite cost-effective in China. And there’s plenty of land. And so the ban on H20 is not effective,’ Jensen Huang told reporters at Computex.

21 May 2025 - 4:13PMvideocam

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang holds a circuit board as he answers questions from members of the media at a press event in Taipei on May 21. Photo: Reuters

Technology

SoftBank swings to a loss ahead of big AI infrastructure bet on Stargate Project

The company posted a US$2.4 billion loss in the December quarter, as founder Masayoshi Son campaigns to raise US$500 billion for Stargate.

12 Feb 2025 - 7:22PM

Volatility in the quarterly performance of SoftBank’s Vision Fund unit consistently dogs the Tokyo-based tech conglomerate. Photo: AP

Artificial intelligence

SoftBank, OpenAI tie up to develop AI for Japan as DeepSeek rises

SoftBank Group companies will spend US$3 billion a year on OpenAI’s tools, despite the arrival of cheaper products from China’s DeepSeek.

3 Feb 2025 - 4:09PM

Artificial intelligence

SoftBank’s Masayoshi Son aims to foster a new era of ‘super’ AI

Son sees a future when chips designed by SoftBank subsidiary Arm support a thriving ecosystem of robots and powerful data centres.

21 Jun 2024 - 3:54PM

Artificial intelligence

Opinion | AI boom echoes the dotcom bubble, but not in the way you think

After the dotcom bubble burst, a glut of infrastructure looked like a mistake, but it laid the foundation for the internet’s eventual growth. Today’s AI investments may lower the cost of computing power and provide the basis for future breakthroughs, even if they precede a market correction.

5 Mar 2024 - 8:30PMvideocam

People walk through a display of fibre optic cables at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona on February 26. As a result of the dotcom bubble of the late 1990s, more than 128 million km of fibre optic cable was installed in the US. Photo: Bloomberg

Saudi Arabia

Saudi US$100 billion manufacturing fund invests in SoftBank, Dahua

The moves underscore Saudi Arabia’s commitment to transform itself from an oil-dependent economy to a powerhouse that makes money on everything from tech to metals, mining and tourism.

21 Feb 2024 - 5:16PM

The booth of Zhejiang Dahua Technology at the International Security Conference and Exposition (ISC West) in Las Vegas on April 10, 2019. Photo: Xinhua.

Foxconn

Apple’s operating chief makes rare Taiwan visit for Foxconn gala

Jeff Williams was a guest of honour at a gala celebrating the iPhone assembler’s 50th anniversary, also attended by SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son and Arm boss Rene Haas.

21 Feb 2024 - 1:24PM

Millionaires, billionaires and trillionaires

SoftBank’s Masayoshi Son adds US$4 billion to his wealth on Arm’s 192% rally

The Japanese tycoon is currently worth US$15.1 billion, compared with US$11.3 billion at the end of last year. Son is benefiting from Arm’s rally because he owns roughly a third of SoftBank, which holds 90 per cent of the UK chip designer.

13 Feb 2024 - 6:37PM

Alibaba

Japan’s SoftBank concludes run as Alibaba’s biggest shareholder

SoftBank expects to book US$8.5 billion, about 425 times the value of its initial Alibaba investment, for its 2024 financial year after divesting more than 500 million shares in the e-commerce giant.

27 Jan 2024 - 4:26PM

Alibaba

Exclusive | Jack Ma, Joe Tsai replace SoftBank as Alibaba’s largest shareholders

The combined stakes of the two co-founders eclipsed SoftBank Group, which has reduced its shares in Alibaba through a series of forward contracts.

24 Jan 2024 - 6:08PM

Artificial intelligence

iPhone design chief enlisted by Jony Ive, Sam Altman to work on AI devices

Legendary industrial designer Jony Ive and OpenAI’s Sam Altman are enlisting an Apple veteran to work on a new artificial intelligence hardware project, aiming to create devices with the latest capabilities.

27 Dec 2023 - 4:41PM

Artificial intelligence

Nearly all OpenAI staff threaten to go to Microsoft unless board quits

More than 700 of OpenAI's roughly 770 employees signed a letter, calling for all board members to resign and for fired CEO Sam Altman to be reinstated.

21 Nov 2023 - 4:08PM

Nearly all OpenAI employees have signed a letter calling for every member of the company's board to resign. Photo: Reuters

ChatGPT and other generative AIs

Ousted OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said to eye possible return to ChatGPT creator

A day after the OpenAI board fired him, Sam Altman was talking with the company’s executives about improving its governance structure, while discussing with some core ChatGPT researchers about starting a new artificial intelligence company.

19 Nov 2023 - 9:43PMvideocam

Investors in ChatGPT creator OpenAI, including its biggest backer Microsoft Corp, are discussing damage control, including possibly pushing the start-up’s board to restore Sam Altman as chief executive, according to sources. Photo: EPA-EFE

Softbank

WeWork saga cost SoftBank’s Masayoshi Son US$11.5 billion and his credibility

Once valued at US$47 billion, WeWork’s plunge into bankruptcy damaged the professional reputation of SoftBank’s Masayoshi Son far beyond the US$11.5 billion he lost in the co-working office space start-up.

8 Nov 2023 - 3:35PMvideocam

Cryptocurrency

Ex-SoftBank executive sets up UAE stablecoin pegged to dirham

Akshay Naheta, who pitched SoftBank on selling chip firm Arm to Nvidia, set up his stablecoin firm DTR in the emirate’s financial free zone in Abu Dhabi.

2 Oct 2023 - 11:47AM

Semiconductors

Arm IPO reduces fundraising goal as investors weigh China risks

The SoftBank Group-owned chip firm aims to raise US$5 billion to US$7 billion, and its valuation could end up in the range of US$50 billion to US$60 billion.

4 Sep 2023 - 4:16PMvideocam

Arm’s IPO could yield a lower valuation than previously thought as it faces risks from its exposure to China. Photo: Bloomberg

Semiconductors

IPO of chip firm Arm turns into tug of war for influence among tech giants

Tech giants are scrambling to get a piece of the IPO for Arm, which designs chips that are critical to mobile devices, to prevent rivals from gaining an edge.

23 Aug 2023 - 3:13PM

Semiconductors

SoftBank’s mobile chip firm Arm files for IPO set to be 2023’s biggest

The semiconductor design firm did not disclose proposed terms for the sale, but it is expected to seek a valuation of US$60 billion to US$70 billion.

22 Aug 2023 - 7:51PMvideocam

Semiconductors

British chip design firm Arm rolls out new tech for mobile devices

Taiwanese chip designer MediaTek said it will be using Arm’s latest tech innovation to boost the performance of next-generation smartphones.

29 May 2023 - 4:48PM

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Masayoshi Son

China’s robot rush: Morgan Stanley raises 2026 forecast to 50,000 units

China’s humanoid robot industry is scaling faster than expected, with Xpeng, Unitree and others accelerating mass production.

The world’s 5 largest-ever IPOs, before Elon Musk’s SpaceX listing

Divergent AI growth paths emerge from China, US amid bubble concerns: CICC

.css-1f6sr3w{color:#727272;}AI | China chases superintelligent AI without sci-fi movie risks

AI systems with human-level intelligence, or higher, offer the promise of solutions to humanity’s biggest challenges but the risk of humans losing control.

SoftBank shares dive after Nvidia sale spooks AI-wary market

‘I can’t say if we’re in an AI bubble or not,’ SoftBank’s finance chief says, adding that the sale is a necessary financing measure.

SoftBank strikes deal to acquire ABB’s robotics business for US$5.4 billion

The deal marks a significant push by SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son into robotics, as he expands investment after a period of retrenchment.

Japan’s SoftBank to invest US$2 billion in Intel as part of US push

SoftBank has been expanding its US footprint, including a recent deal to buy Foxconn’s electric vehicle plant in Ohio.

SoftBank’s growing stakes in Nvidia and TSMC show focus on AI gear

Son eyes a more central role in the spread of AI with SoftBank’s access to some of the semiconductor supply chain’s most lucrative parts.

A sun-baked ‘Shenzhen’? SoftBank pitches TSMC on US$1 trillion AI hub in Arizona

Son envisions a version of China’s manufacturing hub of Shenzhen that would bring high-tech manufacturing to the US, sources told Bloomberg.

Nvidia CEO blasts US AI chip restrictions on China as a ‘failure’

‘Power is quite cost-effective in China. And there’s plenty of land. And so the ban on H20 is not effective,’ Jensen Huang told reporters at Computex.

SoftBank swings to a loss ahead of big AI infrastructure bet on Stargate Project

The company posted a US$2.4 billion loss in the December quarter, as founder Masayoshi Son campaigns to raise US$500 billion for Stargate.

SoftBank, OpenAI tie up to develop AI for Japan as DeepSeek rises

SoftBank Group companies will spend US$3 billion a year on OpenAI’s tools, despite the arrival of cheaper products from China’s DeepSeek.

SoftBank’s Masayoshi Son aims to foster a new era of ‘super’ AI

Son sees a future when chips designed by SoftBank subsidiary Arm support a thriving ecosystem of robots and powerful data centres.

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}Opinion | AI boom echoes the dotcom bubble, but not in the way you think

After the dotcom bubble burst, a glut of infrastructure looked like a mistake, but it laid the foundation for the internet’s eventual growth. Today’s AI investments may lower the cost of computing power and provide the basis for future breakthroughs, even if they precede a market correction.

Saudi US$100 billion manufacturing fund invests in SoftBank, Dahua

The moves underscore Saudi Arabia’s commitment to transform itself from an oil-dependent economy to a powerhouse that makes money on everything from tech to metals, mining and tourism.

Apple’s operating chief makes rare Taiwan visit for Foxconn gala

Jeff Williams was a guest of honour at a gala celebrating the iPhone assembler’s 50th anniversary, also attended by SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son and Arm boss Rene Haas.

SoftBank’s Masayoshi Son adds US$4 billion to his wealth on Arm’s 192% rally

The Japanese tycoon is currently worth US$15.1 billion, compared with US$11.3 billion at the end of last year. Son is benefiting from Arm’s rally because he owns roughly a third of SoftBank, which holds 90 per cent of the UK chip designer.

Japan’s SoftBank concludes run as Alibaba’s biggest shareholder

SoftBank expects to book US$8.5 billion, about 425 times the value of its initial Alibaba investment, for its 2024 financial year after divesting more than 500 million shares in the e-commerce giant.

Exclusive | Jack Ma, Joe Tsai replace SoftBank as Alibaba’s largest shareholders

The combined stakes of the two co-founders eclipsed SoftBank Group, which has reduced its shares in Alibaba through a series of forward contracts.

iPhone design chief enlisted by Jony Ive, Sam Altman to work on AI devices

Legendary industrial designer Jony Ive and OpenAI’s Sam Altman are enlisting an Apple veteran to work on a new artificial intelligence hardware project, aiming to create devices with the latest capabilities.

Nearly all OpenAI staff threaten to go to Microsoft unless board quits

More than 700 of OpenAI's roughly 770 employees signed a letter, calling for all board members to resign and for fired CEO Sam Altman to be reinstated.

Ousted OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said to eye possible return to ChatGPT creator

A day after the OpenAI board fired him, Sam Altman was talking with the company’s executives about improving its governance structure, while discussing with some core ChatGPT researchers about starting a new artificial intelligence company.

WeWork saga cost SoftBank’s Masayoshi Son US$11.5 billion and his credibility

Once valued at US$47 billion, WeWork’s plunge into bankruptcy damaged the professional reputation of SoftBank’s Masayoshi Son far beyond the US$11.5 billion he lost in the co-working office space start-up.

Ex-SoftBank executive sets up UAE stablecoin pegged to dirham

Akshay Naheta, who pitched SoftBank on selling chip firm Arm to Nvidia, set up his stablecoin firm DTR in the emirate’s financial free zone in Abu Dhabi.

Arm IPO reduces fundraising goal as investors weigh China risks

The SoftBank Group-owned chip firm aims to raise US$5 billion to US$7 billion, and its valuation could end up in the range of US$50 billion to US$60 billion.

IPO of chip firm Arm turns into tug of war for influence among tech giants

Tech giants are scrambling to get a piece of the IPO for Arm, which designs chips that are critical to mobile devices, to prevent rivals from gaining an edge.

SoftBank’s mobile chip firm Arm files for IPO set to be 2023’s biggest

The semiconductor design firm did not disclose proposed terms for the sale, but it is expected to seek a valuation of US$60 billion to US$70 billion.

British chip design firm Arm rolls out new tech for mobile devices

Taiwanese chip designer MediaTek said it will be using Arm’s latest tech innovation to boost the performance of next-generation smartphones.

AI | China chases superintelligent AI without sci-fi movie risks

Opinion | AI boom echoes the dotcom bubble, but not in the way you think