Monetary Matters with Jack Farley Gambling Man: Masayoshi Son’s Bold AI Vision For 2025 & Beyond | Lionel Barber
65 snips
Feb 23, 2025 Lionel Barber, former editor of the Financial Times and author of 'Gambling Man,' discusses the audacious journey of Masayoshi Son, showcasing his bold moves in technology and finance. Barber details Son's risk-taking strategies, from investing in Alibaba to the pitfalls of WeWork. The conversation delves into SoftBank's transformation and its ambitious AI goals, exploring the geopolitics of East and West, and the financial innovations during Japan's recession. Barber highlights Son's vision for creating a vast AI empire and the balancing act of navigating international markets.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Masa's Forrest Gump-like Journey
- Masayoshi Son, similar to Forrest Gump, has been present during major technological shifts over the past four decades.
- His journey includes successes in dot-com stocks and telecoms, alongside significant losses and comebacks.
Masa's High-Risk, High-Reward Approach
- Masa, a significant borrower, leveraged Japan's low interest rates to acquire American assets like Yahoo and Alibaba.
- While successful, he also experienced substantial losses, notably $14 billion on WeWork.
Masa's Negotiation Tactics
- In 1996, Masa offered Yahoo's co-founder $100 million, claiming "everybody needs $100 million."
- He then threatened to invest in a rival if Yahoo refused, a tactic he frequently employs.
