CEO Today Top 50 - Masayoshi Son

Name: Masayoshi Son

Net worth: Approx. $36 billion Executive pay: $785,000

Company: Softbank

Bio: In 1980, Masayoshi Son graduated from UC Berkeley with a BA in Economics. In order to become a role model for ethnic Korean children in Japan, Son decided to keep his Korean-style surname.

Son, now Japan’s richest man, founded SoftBank Group Corp. in 1981 as a distributor of computer software. Among others, it now owns operations in broadband, fixed-line telecommunications, e-commerce, finance, media and marketing.

SoftBank was ranked 62^nd in the Forbes Global 2000 list of largest public companies in the world, and the third largest public company in Japan, after Mitsubishi UFJ Financial and Toyota. Between 2009 and 2014, SoftBank's market capitalization increased by 557%, the highest market capitalization in the world over that period.

Did you know: For the year ended March 2024, SoftBank Group reported a $1.7 billion loss, down from $7.3 billion the previous year.

Did you know: Son spent more than $100 million on a 9-acre estate in Silicon Valley with a 9,000 square foot mansion.

Quote: "Those who rule data will rule the entire world." - Masayoshi Son

Photo: Masaru Kamikura/Flickr/CC 2.0

CEO Fact: Masayoshi Son promised to donate 10 billion yen ($120m) plus his remaining salary until retirement to support victims of the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.

Along with some other companies in Japan, SoftBank offers a “baby bonus” for employees who have children, with payments ranging from $400 for a first child to $40,000 for a fifth child.