Deals
Why Is SoftBank Buying Fortress? Son Gets a Brain Trust for Deals
- SoftBank to pay $3.3 billion for private-equity firm
- Fortress acquisition won’t be part of $100 Billion Vision Fund
Why Softbank Buying Fortress Investment Is a Big Deal
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Why does Masayoshi Son want to buy a private-equity firm?
That was the question investors grappled with after Japan’s SoftBank Group Corp. agreed to acquire New York’s Fortress Investment Group LLC for $3.3 billion in cash. SoftBank founder Son has previously put his money into telecommunications, internet startups and e-commerce. Fortress is not only a surprising diversification move by the 59-year-old, the firm is also struggling with a downturn in the private equity industry that has squeezed fees and pummeled shares.