Gambling Man

This biography explores the life of Masayoshi Son, a transformative investor whose ventures have shaped the tech landscape and global finance. Gambling Man reveals his remarkable journey.

The biography Gambling Man delves into the life of Masayoshi Son, a pivotal yet underappreciated figure in the world of investing. Over the past two decades, Son has made and lost fortunes, controlling assets worth an astonishing $1 trillion through his media-tech conglomerate, SoftBank. His early investments in Alibaba, before it became a household name, and his collaboration with Steve Jobs to revolutionize the iPhone highlight his visionary approach to technology and finance. This book captures the essence of a man whose financial acumen has significantly shaped the tech landscape.

Readers are taken on a journey that spans Son's life, from his humble beginnings in a Korean slum in post-war Japan to the heights of global finance. Gambling Man explores the extravagant locations that Son has frequented, including Donald Trump's golden skyscraper in Manhattan and the opulent royal palaces of Riyadh. These settings serve as a backdrop to Son's unique blend of financial daring and innovative thinking, demonstrating how he navigated the complexities of the global market.

The narrative highlights a 25-year era of hyper-globalization, marked by the rapid flow of money, technology, and ideas. Through the rise of the microchip and the emergence of artificial intelligence, Son's career is a testament to the power of optimism and the relentless pursuit of innovation. As an ethnic Korean in Japan, he faced significant challenges but emerged as a formidable empire-builder. This book, penned by a former editor of the Financial Times, offers fresh insights and reveals the motivations behind Son's remarkable journey, making Gambling Man a compelling read for anyone interested in the intersections of finance, technology, and personal resilience.