Culture | The setting Son?

Softbank’s gambling founder, Masayoshi Son, is catnip for authors

But readers will remember him as much for his missteps as for his successes

Masayoshi Son gestures as he speaks during the SoftBank World 2024 event in Tokyo, Japan on October 3rd 2024
Masa, in the spotlightPhotograph: Getty Images

Masayoshi Son, boss of SoftBank, a Japanese tech and telecoms giant, is one of the boldest investors of modern times. He earned billions from prescient investments in Arm Holdings, a chip company, and Yahoo and Alibaba, two internet pioneers. Yet Mr Son also vaporised billions with astonishing speed by staking the likes of WeWork and countless other tech confections. Revered for his insight, he is mocked for his overreach.

This article appeared in the Culture section of the print edition under the headline “The setting Son?”

From the October 26th 2024 edition

Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents

Explore the edition
Meghan Markle with Daniel Martin in "With Love, Meghan"

Meghan Markle’s new Netflix show is out of touch with the times

In it she positions herself as an elite Martha Stewart

Mikey Madison poses with the Oscar for Best Actress in a Leading Role for "Anora"

This year’s Oscars were notably apolitical

Hollywood has ditched resistance in favour of toeing the line


A triptych of screenshots from Donald Trump's AI video on Trump Gaza.

AI unleashes a weird new genre of political communication

Donald Trump’s Gaza video offers a taste of what is to come


Why are live albums back in fashion?

Hitmakers including Niall Horan, Dua Lipa and Ed Sheeran have released them

Caviar is the internet’s favourite indulgence

Russian tsars loved it. Now TikTok does, too

Finding meaning in people’s first words—and their last

Why there is less significance than society would have you believe