Masayoshi Son's Pledge to President Trump: A Whopping $100 Billion Investment and 100,000 New Jobs in the US
SoftBank Group
Softbank to infuse a massive $100 billion into the American market
Japanese tech mogul Masayoshi Son is ready to pour a massive $100 billion into the United States over the next four years, creating 100,000 new jobs. The big announcement followed a face-to-face meeting with President Donald Trump. Trump welcomed the move, boasting it as a triumph of his tactic to speed up and simplify large-scale investments through regulatory relaxation.
According to the behind-the-scenes strategy, Trump fostered a direct dialogue with Son and other CEOs, encouraging them to aim higher than their initial commitments[1][5]. During a public event, Trump personally invited Son and other top execs to the stage, creating a grandiose platform for announcing major investment pledges[1][5]. This not only served to publicly bind companies but also signaled the administration's backing for their projects.
At a recent White House "Invest in America" event, Trump gathered leading global business titans, including Masayoshi Son, to promote the US as the beacon for technology and infrastructure investments[2][5]. In his own words, Trump actively motivated Son to surpass his first investment commitment, saying, "This time I tried to commit $100 billion, and President Trump said, 'Oh, Masa, go for more'"[1][5]. This push led Son to escalate his pledge to $200 billion, and later, he joined forces with OpenAI, Oracle, and MGX, including a monstrous $500 billion commitment to AI infrastructure in the US[1][3][2]. This investment stands among the largest in American history.
Key aspects of Trump's tactic:
- Personal Interaction: Trump directly engaged with CEOs, offering them a prominent stage to showcase their commitments at White House events[1][5].
- Public Cheerleading and Encouragement: He publically encouraged company leaders to "go big," inspiring executives like Son to expand their investment pledges beyond their original plans[1][5].
- Policy Alignment: Trump's focus on "onshoring" high-tech manufacturing and placing the US at the forefront of AI and chipmaking was a crucial part of his economic message[3][2].
- Event-Driven Announcements: High-impact events, such as the "Invest in America" summit, were used to highlight pledges and reinforce the administration's commitment to American innovation and security[2][5].
In a nutshell, Trump's strategy combined personal and public encouragement, direct conversations with business elites, and the use of high-profile events to secure and amplify investment pledges, culminating in SoftBank's initial $100 billion promise and subsequent even larger commitments with other major tech companies[1][2][5].
- SoftBank Group's CEO, Masayoshi Son, pledged a significant $100 billion investment into the United States' business and technology sector over the next four years, intending to create 100,000 new jobs.
- During a meeting with President Donald Trump, Son's investment pledge was encouraged to be larger than the initial commitment, resulting in an escalated $200 billion commitment.
- Trump facilitated this dialogue by personally inviting business titans, like Son, to showcase their investment pledges at White House events, such as the "Invest in America" summit.
- The regulatory policy alignment focusing on high-tech manufacturing and AI infrastructure in the US played a key role in encouraging SoftBank's massive investment and subsequent commitments with other tech companies.
