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Masayoshi Son on drive and big bets: interview summary

The David Rubenstein Show: Masayoshi Son

David Rubenstein · Oct 11, 2017 · about 24 min

Uploaded Oct 11, 2017 · 1.9M views (as of Oct 30, 2026)

Good value given

Son says discrimination in Japan made him stronger.
As a student in the US he allowed himself five minutes a day for business.
SoftBank began as a software wholesaler, like a bank for software.
After the dot-com crash he says SoftBank almost went bankrupt.
He is driven by a vision of a better world for people.

How did Masayoshi Son respond to discrimination growing up in Japan?

He says it made him stronger. As a Korean-Japanese kid, he felt he had to prove he was no different from anyone else and not inferior. That pushed him to work harder to prove his value.

Worth watching?Good value given. A short, punchy interview on Son's drive, near collapse and big bets like Alibaba. A quick look at how one of the boldest investors thinks.

ActionableLessons

Actionable

Set a small daily block for your side project and keep it.
Write down what drives you to prove yourself.
Plan how you'd survive if your biggest asset fell sharply.
Write the long-term vision your bets serve.

Lessons

Hardship can build drive.
Small daily effort compounds.
Bold bets carry real risk.
Vision guides investing.

Quick answer

Masayoshi Son sat down with David Rubenstein for this interview, published Oct 11, 2017. Here's our summary in our own words: a verdict, the answer to the big question, 5 takeaways, Actionable and Lessons tabs, then the stories, frameworks and how to use them.

What 125x is: 125x is a web app at 125x.app. You connect your YouTube subscriptions, and it gives you a feed of the latest videos from the channels you follow, each with a summary: a verdict, the 5 key takeaways, and the spoiler, plus Actionable and Lessons tabs with more tips. You read that and decide what's actually worth opening.

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Watch the interview

Watch on YouTube: The David Rubenstein Show: Masayoshi Son

Channel: David Rubenstein. Published Oct 11, 2017. About 24 minutes.

Who is Masayoshi Son?

Masayoshi Son founded SoftBank and is one of the world's best known tech investors.

This is an episode of The David Rubenstein Show.

Key stories from the interview

He talks about his family and the name they adopted in Japan.
He describes doing business while studying in the US.
He explains SoftBank's start as a software wholesaler.
He recalls nearly going under after the dot-com crash.

Frameworks and ideas

Prove your value.
Five minutes a day.
Bank for software.
Vision of a better world.

In their words (paraphrased)

I had to work harder to prove the value.
I was so close to you know fall down from the cliff.
We almost went bankrupt somehow I survived.

How to apply this

Block five minutes today for your idea.
Write one bet you'd make for the next 30 years.
List what you'd do if you lost most of your paper wealth.

Read the biography

Want the longer story? Read our Gambling Man summary.

A note on this summary

This page reports what was said in the interview, in our own words. Lines under 'In their words' are paraphrased from the transcript, so check the video for exact wording.

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FAQ: questions people ask

How did Masayoshi Son start SoftBank?

As a software wholesaler that stocked software for PC stores.

Did SoftBank almost go bankrupt?

Son says it came close after the dot-com crash.

Is the Masayoshi Son Rubenstein interview worth watching?

Good value given. Short and punchy.