SUBSCRIBERS
SoftBank's Masayoshi Son chases first place with tech deals
Japanese billionaire has embarked on two of the most ambitious projects of his career
Published Mon, Dec 5, 2016 · 09:50 PM
'%3e%3cpath%20d='M20.7725%2026.9924C20.9555%2026.9924%2021.1297%2026.953%2021.2951%2026.8741C21.4604%2026.7953%2021.6346%2026.6694%2021.8177%2026.4965L27.8373%2020.8125C27.9848%2020.6752%2028.0865%2020.5353%2028.1425%2020.3929C28.1985%2020.2505%2028.2264%2020.1183%2028.2264%2019.9962C28.2264%2019.869%2028.1985%2019.7343%2028.1425%2019.5918C28.0865%2019.4494%2027.9848%2019.3095%2027.8373%2019.1722L21.8177%2013.5417C21.6142%2013.3484%2021.4375%2013.2098%2021.2875%2013.1259C21.1374%2013.042%2020.9708%2013%2020.7877%2013C20.5181%2013%2020.2981%2013.0916%2020.1278%2013.2747C19.9574%2013.4578%2019.8722%2013.6765%2019.8722%2013.9308V16.8147H19.6509C18.2827%2016.8147%2017.1014%2017.0258%2016.107%2017.448C15.1127%2017.8701%2014.2963%2018.4805%2013.658%2019.279C13.0197%2020.0776%2012.5466%2021.0402%2012.2389%2022.1668C11.9312%2023.2934%2011.7773%2024.5612%2011.7773%2025.9701C11.7773%2026.3006%2011.8575%2026.5537%2012.0177%2026.7291C12.1779%2026.9047%2012.3597%2026.9924%2012.5632%2026.9924C12.7259%2026.9924%2012.89%2026.9593%2013.0553%2026.8932C13.2206%2026.8271%2013.3693%2026.6719%2013.5016%2026.4278C13.9441%2025.5936%2014.4553%2024.9413%2015.0351%2024.4708C15.6149%2024.0004%2016.2838%2023.6685%2017.0417%2023.4752C17.7995%2023.2819%2018.6693%2023.1853%2019.6509%2023.1853H19.8722V26.0998C19.8722%2026.3591%2019.9574%2026.5728%2020.1278%2026.7406C20.2981%2026.9085%2020.513%2026.9924%2020.7725%2026.9924Z'%20fill='black'%20fill-opacity='0.85'/%3e%3c/g%3e%3crect%20x='0.5'%20y='0.5'%20width='39'%20height='39'%20rx='19.5'%20stroke='%23F2F2F2'/%3e%3cdefs%3e%3cclipPath%20id='clip0_715_28555'%3e%3crect%20width='16.4491'%20height='14'%20fill='white'%20transform='translate(11.7773%2013)'/%3e%3c/clipPath%3e%3c/defs%3e%3c/svg%3e){kind=small}
Tokyo
MASAYOSHI Son is a Japanese billionaire who wants to control the way your car talks to street lamps.
The 59-year-old technology investor - a grandson of South Korean immigrants who has amassed one of Japan's largest personal fortunes by pursuing grand, Silicon Valley-inspired visions - is best known outside his homeland for buying the American mobile phone carrier Sprint for US$21.6 billion in 2013.
'/%3e%3cpath%20d='M35.1847%2014.0422L9.37867%2024.1703C8.88772%2024.363%208.86989%2025.051%209.35015%2025.2688L15.0551%2027.8567C15.2097%2027.9269%2015.327%2028.0594%2015.3778%2028.2212L17.8255%2036.0078C17.9491%2036.4009%2018.4247%2036.5534%2018.7539%2036.3054L23.0143%2033.0968C23.2178%2032.9435%2023.4961%2032.9364%2023.7072%2033.0787L30.8526%2037.8975C31.2091%2038.1378%2031.6951%2037.9339%2031.7732%2037.5114L35.9896%2014.7059C36.0747%2014.2456%2035.6206%2013.8712%2035.1847%2014.0422Z'%20fill='%23FDFEFF'/%3e%3cpath%20d='M15.3125%2027.9998L30.4162%2018.627L19.3691%2029.3628L19.548%2033.3966L18.9531%2036.1248C18.3783%2036.7236%2017.9297%2036.2772%2017.8477%2036.0662L15.3681%2028.178L15.2734%2028.0233L15.3125%2027.9998Z'%20fill='%23C8DAEA'/%3e%3cpath%20d='M18.3594%2036.4259L19.3511%2029.3447L23.519%2032.9856C23.303%2032.9612%2023.1588%2032.9863%2023.0268%2033.0859L19.0712%2036.0718C18.6289%2036.4572%2018.4297%2036.4455%2018.3594%2036.4259Z'%20fill='%23A9C9DD'/%3e%3cdefs%3e%3clinearGradient%20id='paint0_linear'%20x1='33'%20y1='7.5'%20x2='19'%20y2='36.5'%20gradientUnits='userSpaceOnUse'%3e%3cstop%20stop-color='%231E96C8'/%3e%3cstop%20offset='1'%20stop-color='%2337AEE2'%20stop-opacity='0'/%3e%3c/linearGradient%3e%3c/defs%3e%3c/svg%3e)
BT is now on Telegram!
For daily updates on weekdays and specially selected content for the weekend. Subscribe to t.me/BizTimes
Technology
Meta’s results are best viewed through rose-tinted AI glasses
'Harvesting data': Latin American AI startups transform farming
After long peace, Big Tech faces US antitrust reckoning
Tech’s cash crunch sees creditors turn ‘violent’ with one another
Tech millionaires chase billionaire tax shields with ‘swap fund’
Elon Musk’s Starlink profits are more elusive than investors think
