SoftBank's Saudi ties in focus as CEO Son makes first appearance since journalist murder
Japan's SoftBank Group Corp Chief Executive Masayoshi Son will face questions on Monday about his company's dependence on Saudi Arabia,
in his first public appearance since the murder of a journalist by Saudi security forces sparked global outrage.
Japan's SoftBank Group Corp Chief Executive Masayoshi Son will face questions on Monday about his company's dependence on Saudi Arabia, in his first public appearance since the murder of a journalist by Saudi security forces sparked global outrage.
Presenting SoftBank's June-September earnings results, Son will also want to assuage concerns over the firm's domestic telecoms business ahead of its mammoth IPO - potentially the world's biggest - as the industry faces government pressure to cut prices.
While the results are expected to show solid profit and the Tokyo Stock Exchange is reportedly set to approve the telecoms listing next week, Son will be in the rare position of seeking to reassure investors about his strategy.
Saudi Arabia is the largest investor in SoftBank's US$93 billion Vision Fund, giving Son firepower to make big bets in late-stage startups such as shared office space provider WeWork Cos and hotel chain OYO hotels. But against the backdrop of the murder case, that dependence is now seen as a risk to SoftBank's plans to raise further funds...
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/bu ... r-10898528
Back in March, Matayoshi went all in with Saudi Barbaria: https://www.thenational.ae/business/sau ... t-1.716651
That didn't work out, but they were going to announce something or other new, until that little dustup with a dissident in Ankara.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/saudi-arab ... 1538328820