This story appears in the April 24, 2017 issue of Forbes Asia. Subscribe to Forbes Asia
Dealmaker Masayoshi Son likes to think and act big. Witness his December 2016 meeting with then president-elect Donald Trump at Trump Tower. SoftBank CEO Son promised Trump that he would lead $50 billion of investment into U.S. companies and create 50,000 jobs in the process. Much of the funding behind the "SoftBank Vision Fund," which Son initially unveiled in October, comes from other people's pockets--most notably as much as $45 billion over five years from Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund. Son also convinced Apple, Foxconn, Qualcomm and Oracle Chairman Larry Ellison to chip in $1 billion each--all while continuing to put SoftBank funds into a number of startups. Son is aiming to reclaim some of the magic investors saw in him before a disappointing dive into U.S. mobile telecom firm Sprint in 2013. Here's a look at the players in Son's world in recent months.
Apple
In January, the smartphone giant said it would invest $1 billion in Softbank's Vision Fund.
Foxconn
The Taiwan-based contract manufacturer, formally called Hon Hai Precision and run by billionaire Terry Gou, is putting $1 billion into SoftBank's Vision Fund.
ARM Holdings
Softbank purchased the semiconductor company for $31 billion in September 2016.
WeWork
Softbank reportedly put $300 million in the office rental firm in late March and could follow up with $2.7 billion from the Vision Fund.
Larry Ellison
The software billionaire's family office will invest $1 billion in the Vision Fund.
OneWeb
In December, Softbank invested $1 billion in this virginia-based startup, which is developing next-generation satellites.
Didi Chuxing
In late March, Softbank was reported to be in talks to invest $6 billion in ride-hailing firm Didi Chuxing--the Uber of China--to boost its self-driving car technologies.
Qualcomm
The telecom chip firm is investing $1 billion in the Vision Fund.
Saudi Arabia
In a testament to Son's global connections, Saudi Arabia's sovereign fund is putting as much as $45 billion into the $100 billion Vision Fund.
Donald Trump
Son and Trump smiled for the TV cameras in the lobby of Trump Tower when the two met there on December 6. Son's net worth jumped $2 billion the day after the meeting.
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