2024-11-01
38 分钟This is the second instalment of a three-part episode. Japan’s Masayoshi Son has purportedly invested or controlled assets worth $1trn in the past two decades through his media-tech giant, SoftBank. He bankrolled Alibaba, China’s internet colossus, before the world had heard about it. He plotted with Steve Jobs to turn the iPhone into a miracle product and he invested in hundreds of tech start-ups, helping to fuel the biggest boom Silicon Valley has ever seen. The business magnate is the focus of former FT Editor Lionel Barber's new book, Gambling Man: The Wild Ride of Japan's Masayoshi Son. In this episode, Barber joins Editor-in-Chief of The Economist Zanny Minton Beddoes live onstage to discuss what we can learn from Son’s remarkable story. This is the second instalment of a three-part episode. If you'd like to become a Member and get access to the full conversation immediately as an early access subscriber, plus all of our Members-only content, just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. For £4.99 per month you'll also receive: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared episodes, wherever you get your podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series - 15% discount on livestreams and in-person tickets for all Intelligence Squared events ... Or Subscribe on Apple for £4.99: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series ... Already a subscriber? Thank you for supporting our mission to foster honest debate and compelling conversations! Visit intelligencesquared.com to explore all your benefits including ad-free podcasts, exclusive bonus content and early access. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Welcome to Intelligence Squared, where great minds meet.
I'm head of programming Connor Boyle.
For this episode.
We're rejoining for part two of our conversation with former editor of the Financial Times, Lionel Barber.
He was live on stage recently at London's Tabernacle Theater to talk about the story of one of the world's most influential financial movers and shakers, Masayoshi Song.
Barber's book Gambling man the Wild Ride of Japan's Masayoshi Son unpacks the story of a business magnet and investor who's not only behind some of most significant financial narratives of our times, but his eye for what's next means that his is a story that anyone interested in fields such as tech, the global economy or AI should be paying attention to.
Joining Barber on stage to discuss it at London's Tabernacle Theater was editor in chief of the economist Zanni Minton Beddoes.
This recording is in three parts.
If you haven't heard part one, do just jump back an episode and get up to speed.
And Intelligence Squared premium subscribers can get our members only part 3 as well.
Just head to intelligencesquared.com membership to find out more or hit the IQ2 extra button on Apple.
Now let's rejoin our host Zani Minton Beddoes live on stage in conversation with Lionel Barber.
His remarkable thing is and we're going to turn a second to try and psychoanalyze this man.
Now you've heard his we can try, we're going to try.
But he Even after the WeWork debacle he there's another passage in the book where he's you describe him meeting the hedge fund Elliot cabinet.
Elliot management comes to Tokyo to give him a lesson in corporate governance and how to raise the share price because Masa is constantly furious with investors on Wall street for marking down there's a conglomerate discount.
So the value of the assets is actually separately is higher than the actual share price and he wants to do something about it.
But so they say to him actually that he might be undervalued.
But then they come this very hard sort of hard driving American hedge fund and they think they're going to flatter him.
So they have in their presentation a reference to Warren Buffett and then another reference to Mark Zuckerberg and another reference to Bill Gates thinking this would flatter him to put him in such great company.