Masayoshi Son

Masayoshi Son was an entrepreneur who recognized the structural inefficiency in the nascent Japanese software distribution market, where the industry was entirely fragmented and dominated by small, regional operators who lacked the capital to scale. His founding philosophy was centered on the radical idea of a 300-year corporate plan, dictating that the company must continuously identify and dominate the foundational technologies of the information age, from the early internet and e-commerce to mobile broadband and artificial intelligence. Son's specific decision to make a $100 million investment in Yahoo! in 1995 defined the company's trajectory, providing the capital required to execute its grand strategic vision and establishing the foundation for the company's eventual dominance as a global technology hegemon.

Masayoshi Son was an entrepreneur who recognized the structural inefficiency in the nascent Japanese software distribution market, where the industry was entirely fragmented and dominated by small, regional operators who lacked the capital to scale. His founding philosophy was centered on the radical idea of a 300-year corporate plan, dictating that the company must continuously identify and dominate the foundational technologies of the information age, from the early internet and e-commerce to mobile broadband and artificial intelligence. Son's specific decision to make a $100 million investment in Yahoo! in 1995 defined the company's trajectory, providing the capital required to execute its grand strategic vision and establishing the foundation for the company's eventual dominance as a global technology hegemon.

Masayoshi Son was born in 1957 in Tosu. Education: University of California, Berkeley; Holy Names University.