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Technology Stocks : Softbank Group Corp -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Edwin S. Fujinaka who wrote (4035)	2/22/2000 2:14:00 AM
From: Edwin S. Fujinaka	Respond to of 6020

There was also this somewhat retrospective story on Son and Softbank in the Weekly Nikkei Net: Monday, February 21, 2000 CHRONICLES: Sage Advice Directed Softbank's Son To Computers TOKYO (Nikkei)--The following is a translation from the Shunjyu essay column on the front page of The Nihon Keizai Shimbun Monday morning edition. Twenty-five years ago, a 16-year-old high school boy from Saga Prefecture made his way to Tokyo. He was at a loss as to what course to pursue in life and went to consult with Den Fujita, president of McDonald's Co. (Japan) and author of a best-selling book about making money. The young man visited Fujita's company several days in a row but was turned down each time. Day after day he would wait all day long in the lobby of the building. Finally, on the seventh day, Fujita yielded to the youth's persistence and consented to a meeting. "I am going to drop out of high school and study abroad in America. What do you think I should study?" the young man asked. Fujita's advice was: "Computers. In the future, they will be much smaller and become indispensable to business. But the Japanese are not aware of that yet." The young man did as he was told and studied computers in the U.S. Upon returning to Japan, he put his all into making a name for himself as an entrepreneur in the information industry. That young man was Masayoshi Son, now president of Softbank Corp. (9984). Having declared his intent to create an Internet zaibatsu, or financial combine, he has invested in hundreds of young companies. Last week, his firm's market capitalization exceeded 18 trillion yen, surpassing that of Toyota Motor Corp. (7203) to become the third-largest company in Japan. Now, there is a rush of people trying to consult with Son on business, from the heads of major corporations to young entrepreneurs and students. Son's advice is to "establish a business before anyone else does." Internet stock prices are very hot right now and, some say, in a bubble. Still, there are many Japanese who cannot keep up with the torrid pace of change. Fujita completely forgot about his meeting with that young man 25 years ago, but 20 years after they met, the elder businessman was invited to dinner in appreciation for the advice he had given Son. (The Nihon Keizai Shimbun Monday morning edition)