Gambling Man

The Secret Story of the World's Greatest Disruptor, Masayoshi Son

By: Lionel Barber

Narrated by: Keong Sim

The former editor of the Financial Times delivers, “with literary flair and stunning revelations” (Steve Coll, Pulitzer Prize winner), the unputdownable first Western biography of SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son, financial disruptor and personification of the 21st century’s addiction to instant wealth.

As Wall Street swooned and boomed through the last decade, our livelihoods have—now more than ever—come to rely upon the good sense and risk appetites of a few standout investors. And amidst the BlackRocks, Vanguards, and Berkshire Hathaways stands arguably the most iconoclastic of them all: SoftBank’s Masayoshi Son.

In this “meticulously researched, balance, thoroughly readable” (Booklist, starred review) biography, we go behind the scenes of the world’s most monied halls of power in New York, Tokyo, Silicon Valley, Saudi Arabia, and beyond to see how Son’s firm SoftBank has defied conventional wisdom and imposing odds to push global tech and commerce into the future.

From the dizzying highs of Uber, DoorDash, and Slack to the epic lows of WeWork and tech-infused dog-walking app Wag, Son and SoftBank have been at the center of cutting-edge capitalism’s absolute peaks and valleys. In the process, Son, son of a pachinko kingpin who grew up in a slum in Japan, has been a hero, a villain, and even a meme-ified hero to the internet tech- and finance-bro set all at once.

Based on in-depth research and eye-opening interviews, Gambling Man is “not only a first-rate biography of an elusive billionaire” (Bloomberg), it’s also an alarming true story of 21st-century commerce that will stick with you long after you turn the final page.

A deep look into the life of a man who doesn’t quit!

The cadence of the storytelling is perfect and provides more insight into a man who was secretive personally, but fearless publicly.

Degenerate Gambler

The book is really good and well written.

But the story of Son himself is not really that interesting from an entrepreneurial standpoint because he comes off as a degenerate gambler who’s black jack table are mega-billion dollar bets on companies. He also seems to surround himself with people that don’t seem to have many redeeming qualities. Some of his bets work, a lot don’t, and it just seems reckless as opposed to reading about a true innovator or investor (a la Warren Buffett) where there seems to be a real methodology to what they’re doing.

I’d still say it’s a good read because even today he’s still relevant but I came away honestly feeling like I was reading about a gambling addict.

Not good

Compared to other biographies, this one is not well written or well researched. Not worth the time.

So Boring

I wish I didn't force myself to finish awful books. Most boring book ever written about someone so extraordinary. Skip.