- Through the $100 billion Vision Fund, Softbank CEO, Masayoshi Son, has invested millions in Silicon Valley’s biggest tech companies — with help from his 12 managing partners.
- But the fund has faced scrutiny this year. SoftBank is working towards a $9.5 billion bailout from its deal with WeWork. The company’s culture is also in question after a recent Bloomberg Businessweek report, in which current and former employees describe the work environment as full of “political rivalries, harassment, compliance issues, and an abnormally high tolerance of risk.”
- SoftBank is also giving up its 50% stake in dog-walking app Wag after the departure of its CEO Hilary Schneider last month.
- Business Insider looked into the careers of the 12 managing partners behind some of the company’s biggest deals.
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It’s been a tough year for SoftBank.
The firm’s $100 billion Vision Fund — which has backed companies like Uber and Sprint — has faced scrutiny surrounding its decisions to invest in money-losing companies.
Earlier this year, the Vision Fund invested $19.9 billion in We Company, the parent of WeWork. SoftBank is working towards a $9.5 billion bailout from the deal, after the WeWork fiasco resulted in 2,400 employee lay-offs and CEO Adam Neumann’s resignation in September.
SoftBank is also giving up its 50% stake in dog-walking app Wag after the departure of its CEO Hilary Schneider last month. Jeff Housenbold, one of the Vision Fund’s managing partners who’s responsible for the investment deal, reportedly argued at a portfolio meeting that his misplaced judgement on Wag stemmed from his attempt to back female CEOs.
Moreover, chief financial officer Navneet Govil and Housenbold are facing scrutiny after Bloomberg Businessweek reported current and former employees describe the work environment as full of political rivalries, harassment, and compliance issues. SoftBank later denied the report.
Behind many of the Vision Fund’s investment decisions are its 12 managing partners. Business Insider looked into the careers of the company’s managing partners and why they made the news this year. Here they are in alphabetical order.
