President and CEO, Softbank Corp. (last year No. 4) NET WORTH $2.2 billion AGE 41 ADDRESS 24-1, Nihonbashi Hakozakicho,
Chuo-ku, Tokyo BIO They call him the Bill Gates of Japan, and
it's not always a compliment. Son's voracious investing and
visible role as head of Japan's No. 1 software distributor often
draw more suspicion than praise in the country's hierarchical
business culture. Son made his first $1 million before graduating
from the University of California, Berkeley and founded Softbank
at age 23. Since then the company has served as the platform for
his most profitable investments, including large stakes in Yahoo,
Comdex, and Kingston Technologies. Though savvy international
investing keeps Son's head above water, Softbank is the primary
source of his wealth. Son dropped 13 spots on our list this year
because he is riding out Japan's economic storm on the back of a
company that has been slow to adopt new standards of software
distribution. He may help bankroll the future, but he isn't
defining it. 1998 POWER PLAY This year Son's investments have
stolen the thunder from his recession-weary company. He made $400
million from the initial public offering of Softbank-held
Ziff-Davis in April and sealed a deal with E*Trade to set up an
online security company in Japan in June. Expect to see him put
his money to work in more Internet deals in the next year. PLACE YOUR BETS The Tokyo Stock Exchange is not a place for the faint
of heart right now, but analysts call Softbank a good value as
long as it stays under $50. Buy low and hold.
