TOKYO -- In the spring of 2017, a Saudi business associate made an intriguing proposal to Yoshito Miyazaki, an executive at Japanese trading house Sumitomo Corp., asking if he would like to invest in an interesting electric vehicle startup together.
The target of the pitch was Rivian Automotive, which at the time was still operating in stealth mode with hardly any information to its name. The CEO of the outfit, R.J. Scaringe, maintained an especially low profile.
