Acquired Season 2, Episode 4: SoftBank, Fortress and the Vision Fund
01:32:47
Name Change
- Masayoshi Son's family changed their surname due to Japanese government mandates for Korean families.
- This experience deeply impacted Son and shaped his identity.
Meeting with McDonald's President
- At 16, Masayoshi Son flew to Tokyo, determined to meet McDonald's Japan president.
- He got two pieces of advice: Learn English and study computers.
Early Business Ventures
- While at Berkeley, Masayoshi Son sold an electronic translator for $1.7 million.
- He also imported Space Invaders arcade machines, earning $1.5 million.
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Introduction
00:00 • 4min
Soft Bank Vision Fund
03:33 • 3min
What Is the Story of the Iconic Founder?
06:25 • 2min
En Massa - A Japanese Businessman's Guide
08:15 • 3min
Soft Bank - What Is Soft Bank?
11:16 • 2min
Halt and Catch Fire
12:51 • 3min
What's New Again?
15:43 • 3min
Massa Konne - The Internet Bubble Burst
19:04 • 3min
Mobile Phones - I Want to Get Into Mobile, I Need a Great Device
21:57 • 2min
Soft Bank - The Greatest Investment Ever
24:20 • 2min
The Best Investment of All Time
26:24 • 2min
I Po Vale Baba in 20 14
28:20 • 2min
Soft Bank Invests Snap Deals, but Not Flip Carts?
29:54 • 2min
What Is the Value Chain of the Mobile Phone Industry?
31:52 • 3min
The Vision Fund Is a Global Technology Investment Fund
34:22 • 2min
The Largest Private Equity Fund Ever Raised
36:07 • 2min
The Fortress Acquisition - The Largest and Longest Fund Ever Raised?
37:48 • 2min
Sothbank - Is Fortress a Venture Capital Firm?
39:36 • 2min
Fortress Private Equity Funds
41:08 • 2min
Taking a Management Company Public
42:43 • 2min
Softbank - What's Going On?
44:43 • 3min
Soft Bank Financial Services
47:15 • 2min
Is the Vision Fund Worth the Management Fee?
49:36 • 2min
Is Fortress Going to Buy Fortress?
51:30 • 2min
Investing in the Vision Fund
53:10 • 2min
The Vision Fund
55:30 • 2min
Softbank Financial Services
57:04 • 2min
Vision Funds
58:48 • 2min
What Does Apple Do With That Eight Billion Dollars?
01:00:51 • 2min
Vision Fund - The Largest Private Equity Fund Ever Raised
01:03:02 • 2min
Is It Possible to Stay Private Longer?
01:04:47 • 3min
What Happens to the 60 Eight Unicorn?
01:07:19 • 2min
Is the Value Creation Destructive?
01:09:31 • 3min
Is the Vision Fund Driving Up Valuations?
01:12:31 • 2min
Soft Bank Is Adding More Legs to the Stool of Soft Bank
01:14:15 • 3min
Is It a Good Place to Park Your Money?
01:17:00 • 2min
Fortress - I Think It's Brilliant, Like Massa Is.
01:18:44 • 2min
The Vision Fund Is Not All About the Vision Fund
01:20:18 • 4min
The Three Body Problem by a Chinese Author
01:24:13 • 2min
We're Out of Gas. We've Got an Ipo of Spotifyaa Direct Listing
01:25:46 • 2min
Acquired dives into the topic on the minds and lips of just about every VC and founder these days: SoftBank’s $93B+ Vision Fund, and its seemingly-overnight rewriting of the rules of venture capital and startup fundraising. Where did this new 800lbs gorilla come from, what are its goals, and what does it mean for the future of silicon valley and the global tech ecosystem? The answer, it turns out, starts with an acquisition, and unfolds into a story no one has yet told and few yet understand. Luckily our heroes are on the case!
Sponsors:
Sentry: https://bit.ly/acquiredsentry
ServiceNow: https://bit.ly/acquiredsn
Huntress: https://bit.ly/acqhuntress
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Links:
Carve Outs:
- Ben: eBoys: The First Inside Account of Venture Capitalists at Work
- David: Liu Cixin’s Remembrance of Earth’s Past trilogy (starting with The Three-Body Problem)
- Bonus: shout out to Brian McCullough’s new podcast the Ride Home, in partnership with TechMeme!