, Columnist
Masa’s Visionary Sequel Has a Desperate Look
SoftBank leaning on employees for cash suggests fundraising for his next venture-capital epic has been less than smooth.
It's hard to follow a blockbuster.
Photographer: Akio Kon/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
It looks like SoftBank Group Corp.’s Masayoshi Son may be struggling to start his next epic journey.
A month after announcing an eclectic mix of investors for its Vision Fund 2, SoftBank is leaning on its own employees for cash, planning to lend them as much as much as $20 billion to buy stakes in the venture-capital vehicle, the Wall Street Journal reported at the weekend. The report adds to signs of possible funding gaps in the $108 billion cash pile Son is targeting. SoftBank itself is already putting in $38 billion.