Japanese businessman Masayoshi Son has an estimated net worth of $20.7 billion as of 2017, according to Forbes; making him the second richest man in Japan. His estimated net worth rose to $24.3 billion as of October 2018. He is the founder and CEO of SoftBank.
Masayoshi Son was born on August 11 1957 in Tosu, Saga, Japan. He started studying English and Computer Science upon Japan McDonald president Den Fujita’s advice. He moved to California when he was 16 and completed his high school while staying with friends and family in South San Francisco. He majored in economics and studied computer science at the University of California.
Son patented a translating device, which he eventually sold to Sharp Electronics for $1 million. Today his SoftBank Group Corp is a multinational company. It is a mobile internet powerhouse. Son is the chairman and CEO of the company. He is also the CEO of SoftBank Mobile and chairman of Sprint Corporation.
Son is married and has two children. He lives in Tokyo and in the US. He bought a home in Woodside, California, in 2012 for around $100 million. He is involved in many philanthropic activities. In 2011 he pledged to donate $120 million and his remaining salary until his retirement to help support victims of 2011 earthquake and tsunami. He is very critical of the nuclear industry.
