Hard-nosed hedge fund poised to rewrite SoftBank playbook

Masayoshi Son's startup investment spree to come under increased scrutiny

SoftBank Group Chairman and CEO Masayoshi Son speaks at a SoftBank World presentation in Tokyo. The entrepreneur's aggressive investments in startups may have to change with the rise of Elliott Management's influence. © AP

RYO IGAWA, Nikkei staff writer

February 8, 2020 05:22 JST

TOKYO -- SoftBank Group chief Masayoshi Son has always had a soft spot for Sakamoto Ryoma, a forward-looking samurai who ran a naval trading business in 19th-century Japan.

Son has called Sakamoto "the most beautiful man in Japan," and SoftBank's own logo is based on a flag Sakamoto hoisted on his ships.