How Howard Lutnick and Masayoshi Son put Japan on the hook for $550bn

SoftBank CEO's financing search for massive projects led him to tariff talks

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Howard Lutnick, left, and Masayoshi Son stand with then-President-elect Donald Trump in December as he delivers remarks at Mar-a-Lago in Florida. © Reuters

AKIRA YAMASHITA

LONDON -- The trade agreement struck between Tokyo and Washington had hinged on a $550 billion "investment vehicle" in which Japan is to invest in projects in the U.S. This framework is tied to a person who, until now, has stayed studiously distant from politics: SoftBank Group Chairman and CEO Masayoshi Son.

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