Masayoshi Son, Japan’s wealthiest person and the CEO of mobile phone operator Softbank Corp., said on Sunday that he will support the region and people affected by the 11 March earthquake and tsunami by personally donating JPY10 billion, about USD120 million, by far the largest amount given by any individual so far to that cause.
Since one of the world’s biggest-ever natural disasters struck northeastern Japan last month, many local companies and business leaders have announced donations. But the sheer size of Son’s donation stands out.
Before Son’s announcement, Tadashi Yanai, the CEO of Fast Retailing Co., the company behind the globally expanding Uniqlo clothing chain, had said that he would make a personal donation of JPY1 billion to support the quake and tsunami victims. Hiroshi Mikitani, the CEO of Rakuten Inc., Japan’s biggest electronic commerce company, is also donating JPY1 billion personally.
(Source: The Wall Street Journal Online)