Masayoshi Son Quotes

Powerful Masayoshi Son for Daily Growth

About Masayoshi Son

Masayoshi Son (蔵松正義), born in 1957 in Tottori, Japan, is a visionary entrepreneur and philanthropist who has made significant contributions to the technology industry. Known for his charismatic leadership and bold predictions, Son is the founder and CEO of SoftBank Group Corporation, one of the world's leading communication companies. Raised in a humble household, Son demonstrated an early interest in electronics and business. He moved to the United States in 1978 to study electrical engineering at Stanford University. There, he was exposed to the burgeoning tech scene, which served as a catalyst for his entrepreneurial ambitions. In 1981, Son founded SoftBank with just $24,000, initially as a mail-order software company. Over the next three decades, he transformed it into a multinational conglomerate with investments in various sectors, including technology, telecommunications, energy, finance, and real estate. SoftBank's most significant investment was in Alibaba Group, an e-commerce giant based in China, which brought substantial returns to the company. Son's strategic acquisitions, such as Arm Holdings and Sprint Corporation, further solidified SoftBank's global presence. Son is also a pioneer in venture capitalism through his Vision Fund, investing billions of dollars in promising startups like Uber, WeWork, Slack, and many others. His focus on long-term growth and disruptive technologies has earned him the nickname "The God of Startups." Despite his business successes, Son remains deeply committed to philanthropy. He pledged to donate half of his wealth to charity through The Giving Pledge, joining other billionaire philanthropists like Warren Buffett and Bill Gates. Throughout his career, Masayoshi Son has been driven by a relentless pursuit of innovation, transforming the tech landscape while inspiring countless others with his boundless optimism and vision.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"Always dream big. If you dream small, you'll live small."

Masayoshi Son's quote emphasizes that having ambitious dreams drives individuals to live more impactfully. By setting high aspirations for oneself, one is encouraged to strive for greatness and achieve significant accomplishments. Conversely, if one settles for small or modest goals, their potential to excel may be limited. In essence, dreaming big not only expands the scope of personal ambition but also serves as a catalyst for greater personal growth and achievement.

"Failure is just a stepping stone to success."

This quote emphasizes that failure should not be viewed as an end, but rather as a necessary step towards achieving success. It suggests that setbacks or failures are opportunities for learning, growth, and improvement, and they do not define one's ultimate potential or destiny. Instead, each failure is a stepping stone that brings individuals closer to their goals if they learn from it and persevere.

"Invest in human beings, not machines."

Masayoshi Son's quote emphasizes the importance of investing in people rather than technology or machinery. It underscores the belief that human capital is crucial for long-term success and innovation. By nurturing and developing talented individuals, organizations can build a strong foundation for growth and adaptability in an ever-changing world. This perspective highlights the role of people as creative problem solvers who can harness technology effectively and drive sustainable progress.

"It's okay to have a big dream as long as you break it down into smaller, achievable steps."

Masayoshi Son's quote emphasizes the importance of breaking down ambitious aspirations into manageable tasks that can be realistically achieved. It encourages individuals to aim high, but also acknowledges the need for a practical approach in realizing their dreams. By focusing on smaller, achievable steps, one can work towards their ultimate goal with greater confidence and efficiency, ultimately increasing the chances of success.

"The world changes when someone has the guts to take risks and invest in dreams."

This quote highlights the transformative power of taking bold risks and investing in innovative ideas or dreams. It suggests that individuals, often with courage and determination, can significantly alter the course of the world by backing their visionary concepts. The risks they take serve as catalysts for change, driving progress, and inspiring others to aspire beyond current limitations.

People usually compare the computer to the head of the human being. I would say that hardware is the bone of the head, the skull. The semiconductor is the brain within the head. The software is the wisdom. And data is the knowledge.

- Masayoshi Son

Human Being, Compare, Data

Those who rule data will rule the entire world.

- Masayoshi Son

World, Will, Entire World, Data

It would take enormous expertise for Amazon to win in every category. Do you think McDonald's could be number one in hamburgers, seafood, and Chinese food?

- Masayoshi Son

Think, Seafood, Could, Chinese

I'm still committed to the success of the U.K. and the belief of the strong intelligence and passion and determination of the British people. I'm a strong believer of their long-term historical success.

- Masayoshi Son

Strong, Committed, Still, Believer

All human beings are the same. In the United States, people come from all over the world, all races, all backgrounds. And they're all doing what they want, many scoring huge successes. When I saw that, I became more open. It freed my soul.

- Masayoshi Son

Doing, United, Became, Backgrounds

There will come a time when the human race and super intelligence will coexist to create a richer and happier life.

- Masayoshi Son

Will, Race, Come, Coexist

The pension system ties you to companies much longer in Japan.

- Masayoshi Son

System, Longer, Companies, Pension

As a student, I had a hobby of inventing new ideas for products. For me, thinking of new businesses is like inventing new products.

- Masayoshi Son

New, Student, Like, Hobby

Think big; think disruptive. Execute with full passion.

- Masayoshi Son

Think, Big, Think Big, Disruptive

I believe this artificial intelligence is going to be our partner. If we misuse it, it will be a risk. If we use it right, it can be our partner.

- Masayoshi Son

Will, Going, Use, Misuse

My belief is that we should never become overconfident.

- Masayoshi Son

Never, Belief, Should, Overconfident

We saw a big bang in PCs; we saw a big bang in the Internet. I believe the next big bang is going to be even bigger. To be ready for that, we need to set the foundation, and that foundation is SoftBank Vision Fund.

- Masayoshi Son

Big, Next, Set, PCs

Traditional companies have to start looking into themselves to offer more opportunities in their companies by starting new subsidiaries and joint ventures.

- Masayoshi Son

New, More, Joint, Starting

We are not experts on everything. We are not capable of doing everything by ourselves. There are a bunch of other smarter people around the world.

- Masayoshi Son

World, Doing, Other, Smarter

We believe the singularity is inevitable, and all businesses will be redefined as computers overtake humans in intelligence.

- Masayoshi Son

Believe, Will, Inevitable, Singularity

To have real success and roots in a society, there has to be a local champion, and hence we believe in identifying a local entrepreneur.

- Masayoshi Son

Society, Identifying, Hence, Champion

Yahoo was Jerry Yang's baby. He did a great job creating the baby. Unfortunately, some of the key executives after the foundation of the company couldn't keep up with the technology innovation of the industry. They thought that Yahoo should become a media company.

- Masayoshi Son

Thought, Some, Industry, Yahoo

If I go to the department store, I get no excitement: I can buy the entire department store instead of one bag. So I lost excitement of shopping.

- Masayoshi Son

Bag, Go, Buy, Department Store

I was richer than Bill Gates for 3 days.

- Masayoshi Son

Than, Gates, Bill Gates, Richer

I don't like accidental success. It's what Bill Gates calls 'random,' a term he uses with the opposite of respect.

- Masayoshi Son

Like, Opposite, Bill, None

If you live in the States, you see the windmill signal on your smartphone all the time. It's like living in Beijing air. You have to remember the blue sky.

- Masayoshi Son

Sky, Living, Like, Signal

Of course Jack Ma was the guy who impressed me.

- Masayoshi Son

Me, Ma, Impressed, Jack

Just like I gave Jack Ma and Alibaba the luxury of staying private for longer, I am now giving Arm the gift of being private. My only message to them now is take my investment and let's go, go, go.

- Masayoshi Son

Gift, Private, Staying, Jack

I know I should not be a hindrance to SoftBank's future growth and that I need to pass on the baton to the younger generation.

- Masayoshi Son

Generation, Need, Hindrance, Baton

Just believe in the future and direction of the capability that ARM has. Go deep and build a better future, both for the company and for its contribution to the industry. That's what I want ARM to do: invest more the future.

- Masayoshi Son

Deep, More, Better Future, Arm

A person's life is over in 50, 100 years. But a company lives on through the people it is composed of, and SoftBank group has to survive even after I'm gone.

- Masayoshi Son

Survive, Through, Over, To Survive

I started Softbank in 1981, a year and a half after I came back from the United States, after graduating from Berkeley. I wanted to start my own company when I came back to Japan.

- Masayoshi Son

Year, United States, Half, Berkeley

To many of you, Sprint may seem like a burden for SoftBank. But in my view, Sprint is going to be one of SoftBank's primary cash cows.

- Masayoshi Son

Like, Going, May, Primary

Alibaba model is the model that I am supporting in China, in India, and even in Japan.

- Masayoshi Son

I Am, China, Even, Supporting

It struck me deep in my mind. Some day, the chip is going to surpass mankind's brain.

- Masayoshi Son

Deep, Mind, Some, Struck

The year 2000, I was the richest for three days. So I know up and down.

- Masayoshi Son

Year, Days, Up And Down, Richest

I think I became an entrepreneur because I have my way of doing business... to do that, you have to have your own company. But if you have your own company, you're an outsider in the Japanese business world. It's difficult. But that's life.

- Masayoshi Son

Doing, Think, Became, Business World

SoftBank has had a lot of businesses, but they've always ranked, say, third in Japan or fourth in the U.S.

- Masayoshi Son

Always, Third, Lot, Businesses

Every street light will be interconnected to the Internet because we can save when car is not passing. Automobile will all be connected, so driverless car much safer.

- Masayoshi Son

Will, Interconnected, Safer, Passing

I believe the continually advancing Information Revolution will lend us the wisdom and strength to address humanity's previously unsolvable problems and help us make a positive impact on all of society.

- Masayoshi Son

Strength, Believe, Unsolvable

My original intent for investing into Sprint - the main strategy was to buy Sprint and T-Mobile at the same time, so we'd have a critical mass to fight against AT&T and Verizon. The U.S. government didn't accept that. They rejected it. So my fundamental strategy was broken.

- Masayoshi Son

Critical, Original Intent, Investing

Uber is redefining the transportation industry now; Airbnb is doing it to the hotel industry. You can expect that to happen in every single industry.

- Masayoshi Son

Doing, Happen, Redefining, Transportation

Indian software engineers are the best in the world; even in Silicon Valley, the best software engineers are Indians.

- Masayoshi Son

Software, World, Silicon, Indian

In the early stages of Internet in Japan, many said that Japanese and Americans are different. There are 10 reasons why Japanese Internet is not taking off. I said none of them are right; it's just a time lag. And, of course, Japanese Internet took off.

- Masayoshi Son

Why, Japan, Reasons, Lag

Robots have already surpassed human beings in calculation and memory, but I have no doubt that the time will come when they will surpass in wisdom as well.

- Masayoshi Son

Memory, Will, Calculation, Surpass

In tennis, you strike a ball just after the rebound for the fastest return. It's the same with investment.

- Masayoshi Son

Ball, Same, Fastest, Rebound

When Gates was active in business, he was the smartest - so focused that no company could surpass Microsoft.

- Masayoshi Son

Business, Could, Gates, Surpass

SoftBank is not a specialist on any instrument. We did not invent any instrument. Not the best player. But we would like to be a conductor of this information revolution.

- Masayoshi Son

Like, Invent, Instrument, Specialist

When those super intelligence goes into robots, those robots with the super intelligence will change our lives.

- Masayoshi Son

Will, Super, Lives, Robots

Our aim is to develop affectionate robots that can make people smile.

- Masayoshi Son

Aim, Develop, Affectionate, Robots

I use the iPhone and iPad every day, and I no longer touch PCs at all.

- Masayoshi Son

Use, Longer, PCs, iPad

Some kind of correction will always happen. But it depends on the specific companies.

- Masayoshi Son

Happen, Some, Always, Correction

We feel a brand should be free.

- Masayoshi Son

Free, Feel, Should, Brand

I said from the very beginning, 'Yahoo should position itself as a technology innovation company, not as a media company.'

- Masayoshi Son

Innovation, Beginning, Very, Yahoo

If they had listened to me and had equal partnerships in China, the U.K., Germany and Brazil, maybe Yahoo in those countries could have become positioned like Yahoo Japan.

- Masayoshi Son

Brazil, Like, Maybe, Yahoo

Whenever there is a big difficulty, I don't make excuses. Instead, I say I will solve it even if everybody leaves.

- Masayoshi Son

Big, Will, Everybody, Excuses

I don't care whether the technology is invented by our employees. I want to bring everybody's innovations into our ecosystem together.

- Masayoshi Son

Want, Everybody, Ecosystem, Invented

When the founders retire, it's always difficult for the second generation and third generation.

- Masayoshi Son

Generation, Always, Third, Retire

There will come an age when our average life expectancy will reach 200 years.

- Masayoshi Son

Reach, Will, Average, Life Expectancy

The energy in Silicon Valley is because of the very talented engineers immigrating from around the world, especially Indians and Chinese. They are the best engineers, and Japan doesn't have enough of them.

- Masayoshi Son

Silicon Valley, Very, Japan, Engineers

We only live once, so I want to think big.

- Masayoshi Son

Think, Big, Once, Think Big

Money is available from investors as long as you have a great business model and a talented leader.

- Masayoshi Son

Business, Leader, Available, Talented

Being educated in the United States gave me a good understanding of American culture. I think I got a lot of influence from the entrepreneurial mind in the United States.

- Masayoshi Son

Mind, Think, United States, Entrepreneurial

I have no intention of making small bets.

- Masayoshi Son

Small, Making, Bets, Intention

I am the man who keeps his words.

- Masayoshi Son

I Am, Words, His, Keeps

InMobi is not just an India-focused company, but it is a global player.

- Masayoshi Son

Company, Just, Global, Player

My philosophy is that the digital revolution will make mankind happier and more productive, and that won't change over the next 300 years. If you don't stick to that original philosophy, even perfect control of a bunch of companies isn't going to do you any good.

- Masayoshi Son

Revolution, Perfect, Next, Philosophy

The best opportunity for return on investment is in the information revolution.

- Masayoshi Son

Opportunity, Investment, Return

I always take bold moves. So it can have great return but with great risk.

- Masayoshi Son

Moves, Always, Take, Return

If Japanese cannot have new babies quick enough, then the government should start importing workers faster.

- Masayoshi Son

Start, New, Quick, Workers

Wisdom and knowledge are the most valuable things in the body.

- Masayoshi Son

Body, Most, Things, Valuable

Best thing for a government to do is to eliminate obstacles like filing registrations, getting licences, and so on... tedious steps slow everything down.

- Masayoshi Son

Obstacles, Like, Tedious, Steps

Mankind had the agricultural revolution, the industrial revolution, and now this third one, the information revolution.

- Masayoshi Son

Mankind, Third, Agricultural, Industrial

I am the largest shareholder in SoftBank; I share the same interest as the other shareholders.

- Masayoshi Son

Other, Same, Largest, Shareholders

I'm the king of debt.

- Masayoshi Son

King, Debt

Alibaba is Alibaba. We are going to keep on, you know, having Alibaba as our core company in our family.

- Masayoshi Son

Going, Keep, Having, Core

It's easy to look at where your pieces are now and place the next one nearby.

- Masayoshi Son

Pieces, Now, Next, Nearby

Difficulty comes not only because of your mistakes, but once you try to make an excuse or accuse someone else, your mind stops thinking.

- Masayoshi Son

Mistakes, Mind, Accuse, Difficulty

Renewables is part of social responsibility, but the information revolution is the only main thing I am interested in.

- Masayoshi Son

Social, Part, Main Thing, Renewables

It's a long journey. There will be good times, and there will be bad times, but SoftBank is always there.

- Masayoshi Son

Journey, Always, Times, Bad Times

I always have a big idea. It pops up every two to three years.

- Masayoshi Son

Big, Always, Idea, Pops

Softbank has always been a service firm, and with the Internet, services became the center of the technology industry.

- Masayoshi Son

Always, Firm, Became, Services

I try to look in the future and think backwards. That is when I am at my most comfortable. Because then I am just like the movie, 'Back to the Future.'

- Masayoshi Son

Think, Movie, Like, Backwards

When you negotiate a deal, you clearly know a lot about the other person.

- Masayoshi Son

Deal, Other, Lot, Negotiate

Internet as a service is like culture that you have to understand, and each country has a local culture.

- Masayoshi Son

Service, Country, Like, Internet

In Internet in general, there are security, privacy, and many other issues.

- Masayoshi Son

Security, Other, General, Internet

Back in the year 2000, most of the Internet companies were not making any money.

- Masayoshi Son

Making, Most, Companies, Internet

God is so kind, he has given so much sunshine to India.

- Masayoshi Son

Sunshine, Kind, Given, India

India has the best opportunity ahead of us.

- Masayoshi Son

Opportunity, Best, Ahead, India

I think Snapdeal could become the Alibaba of India.

- Masayoshi Son

Think, I Think, Could, India

Japan had an energy crisis. I thought, instead of just worrying about it, I should take some kind of responsibility to provide the solutions.

- Masayoshi Son

Thought, Crisis, Some, Worrying

The autonomous car is definitely coming, and when that stage comes, this ride-share business becomes even more important.

- Masayoshi Son

Business, More, Autonomous, Definitely

Uber has to design for the global platform.

- Masayoshi Son

Design, Uber, Global, Platform

I am actually better at predicting or talking about 30 years later than three years.

- Masayoshi Son

Talking, About, Am, Predicting

My style is to have a big vision, a big commitment.

- Masayoshi Son

Vision, Commitment, Big, Style

Those who rule chips will rule the entire world.

- Masayoshi Son

World, Will, Chips, Entire

It's actually sad to be rich.

- Masayoshi Son

Sad, Actually, Rich

When I was a kid, our family was not that rich.

- Masayoshi Son

Family, Kid, Our, Rich

I am not trying to chase what other people are doing.

- Masayoshi Son

I Am, Doing, Other, Chase

I see a lot of opportunity in Internet-related start-ups, and second is the solar business.

- Masayoshi Son

Business, See, Lot, Solar

My passion never fades out.

- Masayoshi Son

Never, Out, Fades, Passion

Most of the time, when I make a big move, people say I am out of my mind. But I don't think about how I can add to what I have today.

- Masayoshi Son

Mind, Big, Add, People Say

We have lots of ideas, lots of dreams.

- Masayoshi Son

Dreams, Ideas, Lots

I think in terms of 20-year horizons.

- Masayoshi Son

Think, I Think, Terms, Horizons

Softbank 2.0 means globalisation of Softbank.

- Masayoshi Son

Means, Globalisation

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