How did SoftBank get so big?
In 2000, SoftBank made its most successful investment – $20 million to a then-fledgling Chinese Internet venture called Alibaba. This investment turned into $60 billion when Alibaba went public in September 2014.
How did SoftBank make its money?
SoftBank’s outsize profits are largely due to the red-hot performance of global stock markets during the past several months. They could evaporate if shares take a dive, since the bulk of the company’s investment gains are on paper, as Mr. Son acknowledged.
Is SoftBank Vision Fund successful?
The plunging value of some of its blockbuster IPOs and a tech sector crackdown by China has led to a record loss. SoftBank Group Corp. reported a record loss at its Vision Fund unit as the value of public holdings like Coupang Inc. and Didi Global Inc.
Did SoftBank make money?
Softbank just shocked its critics by landing the biggest profit in the history of a Japanese company. SoftBank reported a record $36.99 billion Vision Fund unit profit from a fourth-quarter investment gain on Coupang. The results put it among the world’s biggest earning firms a year after an unprecedented loss.
Who is behind SoftBank?
Masayoshi Son
| Masayoshi Son | |
|---|---|
| Born | 11 August 1957 Tosu, Saga, Japan |
| Education | University of California, Berkeley |
| Occupation | Entrepreneur, investor, philanthropist |
| Known for | Principal founder of Softbank |
Is SoftBank still investing?
While SoftBank is still investing heavily in startups—including $14.2 billion just last quarter largely via its second fund—the Japanese conglomerate has undergone a fundamental shift in its approach to venture funding. SoftBank announced its second investment vehicle, Vision Fund 2 (SVF2), in July 2019.