SoftBank Group Chairman Masayoshi Son
Reveals in Exclusive Interview with Nihon Keizai Shimbun
Plans to Increase Investments from 224 to 400-500 Companies
"Now We Have the System," He Confidently States
[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] Masayoshi Son, Chairman of SoftBank Group, stated that "SoftBank is an 'investment company'" and expressed his intention to "expand investments through the Vision Fund." He plans to double the number of startups receiving concentrated investment from the Vision Fund.
According to the Nihon Keizai Shimbun on the 14th, Chairman Son said in an exclusive interview with the newspaper, "We will increase the number of investment targets from the current 224 companies to 400-500 companies in the future."
SoftBank Group posted a record net profit of 4.9879 trillion yen (approximately 51.5 trillion KRW) for the fiscal year 2020, the largest ever for a Japanese company, mainly driven by investments in startups through the Vision Fund.
Chairman Son expressed confidence, saying, "Two years ago, we hesitated in investments, but now we have established a system as an investment company." Regarding previous investment failures such as with the UK financial firm Greensill Capital, he humbly admitted, "We are reflecting on it," and added, "If you take a wrong step, you can fall into an abyss."
He continued, "There are concerns about a 'bubble' due to some invested companies being highly valued, but a stock price fluctuation of about 23% always exists depending on changes in the economic environment," and explained his investment philosophy, "What is important is to continuously increase the number of companies that will become listed stocks."
Chairman Son redefined the company’s identity, stating that SoftBank, which started in telecommunications, has now transformed into an "investment company." He said, "Once a company's sales exceed 100 to 200 billion yen, from then on, management should think as an investment company." While SoftBank has grown through major mergers and acquisitions (M&A), it unveiled a blueprint to focus funds on the Vision Fund going forward.
He also expressed his intention to contribute to nurturing successors. Currently 63 years old, Chairman Son said he plans to hand over the baton to a successor in his 60s. However, he revealed his ambition, saying, "If my enthusiasm does not wane, I want to be involved in management in some form even in my 70s or 80s."
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