002 Corporate Philosophy Vision Business and Investments Group Structure Earnings Forecast CEO Message Masayoshi Son A Brief History Corporate Philosophy Information Revolution Happiness for everyone Related Pages 007 CEO Message 016 CEO Interview
003 Corporate Philosophy Vision Business and Investments Group Structure Earnings Forecast CEO Message Masayoshi Son A Brief History Vision The corporate group needed most by people around the world Related Pages 007 CEO Message 016 CEO Interview
004 Corporate Philosophy Vision Business and Investments Group Structure Earnings Forecast CEO Message Masayoshi Son A Brief History Business and Investments Strategic Investments 2013 Entry into the U.S. telecommunications market through the acquisition of Sprint 2006 Entry into the mobile communications business through the acquisition of Vodafone K.K. 2004 Entry into the fixed-line telecommunications business through the acquisition of JAPAN TELECOM 2001 Launch of broadband infrastructure business Business Intelligence 1996 Identification of Yahoo! Inc. in the U.S. as a potential investment and rapid growth of Yahoo Japan 1994 Strategic investment in Internet-related companies in the U.S. 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 Seamless Interaction Between Business Operations and Investments Creates a Virtuous Cycle The SoftBank Group contains a unique combination of business operations and strategic investments. Through investing in information industry-related businesses we gather intelligence about transformative opportunities and new future trends. We use this to inform many of our core operating decisions. This seamless interaction between operations and investments creates a virtuous cycle that keeps reinforcing itself. Related Pages 005 Group Structure 016 CEO Interview 030 Investment Strategy 041 Major Consolidated Subsidiaries and Affiliates
005 Corporate Philosophy Vision Business and Investments Group Structure Earnings Forecast CEO Message Masayoshi Son A Brief History Group Structure (As of March 31, 2013) The SoftBank Group comprises the pure holding company SoftBank, 235 subsidiaries and 108 affiliates (including 150 consolidated subsidiaries and 83 equity method companies). The Group possesses both advanced infrastructure and diverse services and content, and invests in promising companies working in the Internet field. Major Consolidated Subsidiaries SoftBank Corp. (a pure holding company) SoftBank Mobile Corp. SoftBank BB Corp. SoftBank Telecom Corp. Yahoo Japan Corporation Voting rights: 100% Voting rights: 100% Voting rights: 100% Voting rights: 42.5% Major Equity Method Affiliates Wireless City Planning Inc. eaccess Ltd. GungHo Online Entertainment, Inc. Alibaba Group Holding Limited Renren Inc. Voting rights: 33.3% Voting rights: 33.3% Voting rights: 33.6% Voting rights: 36.7% Voting rights: 34.1% Others WILLCOM, Inc. Shares owned: 100% (Notes) 1. Shares of voting rights held are as of the most recent fiscal year-end for each company. 2. Following the application of the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) at SoftBank, Wireless City Planning and eaccess will be treated as consolidated subsidiaries, whereas they had previously been treated as equity method affiliates under Japanese-GAAP. 3. GungHo Online Entertainment became a consolidated subsidiary of the Company from April 1, 2013. Please see p.141 for details. 4. The Company owns 100% of shares issued by WILLCOM. However, as of March 31, 2013 WILLCOM was in the process of rehabilitation under the Corporate Reorganization Act and the Company does not have effective control over WILLCOM. Therefore, WILLCOM was not treated as a subsidiary. WILLCOM became a consolidated subsidiary on July 1, 2013, following an order by the Tokyo District Court to terminate the rehabilitation proceedings. Related Pages 041 Major Consolidated Subsidiaries and Affiliates
006 Corporate Philosophy Vision Business and Investments Group Structure Earnings Forecast CEO Message Masayoshi Son A Brief History Earnings Forecast Related Pages 007 CEO Message 016 CEO Interview
007 Corporate Philosophy Vision Business and Investments Group Structure Earnings Forecast CEO Message Masayoshi Son A Brief History CEO Message Global No. 1 is the Starting Point One day we will become the global No. 1 company in every aspect-profit, cash flow, stock value. These figures prove our strength, and pursuing them fulfills our responsibility to our shareholders, who support us in our dreams and our aspirations. But global No. 1 is just the starting point, not the goal. As a corporate group, we aim to continue growing for the next 300 years and beyond. But this too is just the process, not the goal. The important thing is what we can do for humanity after we become No. 1. Gaining people s gratitude and respect by realizing lifestyle innovation through IT is the only way we can achieve our purpose. Information Revolution Happiness for everyone. This is our one and only aspiration. July 2013 Masayoshi Son Chairman & CEO Related Pages 010 Five-year Summary 016 CEO Interview 026 Telecommunications Business Strategy 030 Investment Strategy 034 Financial and Capital Strategy
008 Corporate Philosophy Vision Business and Investments Group Structure Earnings Forecast CEO Message Masayoshi Son A Brief History Masayoshi Son A Brief History SoftBank s founder, chairman and CEO, Masayoshi Son is an extraordinary entrepreneur who in a single generation built a corporate group with sales topping 3 trillion. In August 1957, Mr. Son was born in Japan s Saga Prefecture as the second son of four children. In 1974, he ventured to the U.S. at the age of 16. He entered the University of California, Berkeley in the Department of Economics. When he was a 19-year-old university student, Mr. Son resolved to become an entrepreneur and created a 50-year life plan. The plan was to get acknowledged in his 20s, build up a war chest in his 30s, take on a major challenge in his 40s, complete business in his 50s, and hand over business to the next generation in his 60s. Life has gone according to plan so far for Mr. Son, who is now 55 years old. 20s: After graduating from university in 1980, Mr. Son returned to Japan and established SoftBank Corp. Japan (currently SoftBank) in Tokyo the following year. Inspired by a photograph of an Intel microprocessor that he saw in a science magazine while studying in the U.S., Mr. Son predicted that computers would rapidly evolve and become part of everyday life. His starting point in business was PC software distribution. 30s: After SoftBank s initial public offering in 1994, Mr. Son closed one big M&A deal after another in the U.S., including the acquisition of Ziff-Davis Publishing Company, publisher of the computer magazine PC Week. He became wellversed in the M&A process through the cut and thrust of negotiations. In 1996, SoftBank became the primary shareholder of U.S. Yahoo! Inc. and together they established and launched the joint venture in Japan, the portal site Yahoo! JAPAN. The new venture contributed significantly to the rapid popularization of the Internet in Japan. SoftBank subsequently sold off shares in Yahoo! Inc. in stages to fund its broadband business. 20s 30s Related Pages 007 CEO Message 016 CEO Interview 146 The SoftBank Group s History
009 Corporate Philosophy Vision Business and Investments Group Structure Earnings Forecast CEO Message Masayoshi Son A Brief History 40s: In 2001, SoftBank rolled out the highspeed, low-cost broadband service Yahoo! BB ADSL. The service required heavy capital expenditures that resulted in the posting of large losses from fiscal 2001 through 2004, but through it SoftBank took on the telecommunications industry giant NIPPON TELEGRAPH AND TELEPHONE CORPORATION to drive the uptake of broadband in Japan. In addition, SoftBank acquired JAPAN TELECOM CO., LTD. (currently SoftBank Telecom) in 2004, and Vodafone K.K. (currently SoftBank Mobile) in 2006. 50s: Undaunted by criticism from some quarters that the Vodafone K.K. acquisition had been expensive, Mr. Son continued to rock the industry with a rapid series of bold measures that succeeded in turning the company around. Operating income hit record highs for eight consecutive fiscal years through fiscal 2012. In July 2013, SoftBank acquired U.S.-based Sprint. Mr. Son continues to forge ahead toward completing the business, pursuing synergies with Sprint, and strengthening links with Group Internet companies. 40s 50s Related Pages 007 CEO Message 016 CEO Interview 146 The SoftBank Group s History