SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son says he's interested in investing in Uber or Lyft, amid reports Uber board is mulling sale of stock to SoftBank and others
TOKYO (Reuters) - SoftBank Group Corp (9984.T), a prolific investor in global technology startups, reported a sharp rise in quarterly profits …
Context & Ripple Effects
Masayoshi Son's public interest lands mid-negotiation: days earlier, The Information reported SoftBank had discussed with Benchmark a two-tier deal — buying existing Uber shares at a $40B-$45B valuation while injecting fresh capital at $70B. Son confirming interest in "Uber or Lyft" keeps both US ride-hailing leaders in play and signals SoftBank is shopping for scale, not a single bet.
The timing matters because SoftBank just posted a strong quarter — an Intel-stake gain lifting net profit above estimates — giving Son balance-sheet cover to move fast. Within weeks of this statement, sources reported a concrete structure: up to $10B for a 17-22% Uber stake.
First-order effects
- Uber's board gains a ready buyer for existing shareholders' stock — the reported Benchmark discussions offer early investors like Benchmark itself an exit at a discounted mark while bringing in roughly $1B of new money at a higher valuation.
- Lyft becomes a live alternative target: Son naming it publicly gives Lyft leverage it didn't have when SoftBank's attention was assumed to be Uber-only.
Second-order effects
- A secondary sale priced at $40B-$45B against $70B primary money forces every other Uber holder to re-mark their position downward — and pressures rival investors to decide whether to sell into SoftBank or defend their ownership against a 17-22% blockholder.
- Son's ride-hailing portfolio is already global — Ola, Grab, and Didi Chuxing all sit on his cap tables — so a US stake turns SoftBank into the common shareholder across competing networks, a position later formalized when those holdings were moved into the Vision Fund.
Third-order effects
- If the pattern holds, SoftBank becomes the structural kingmaker of ride-hailing: with $60B eventually deployed across 40+ mobility companies (per Reuters' later tally), the largest investor sits on every side of the market and can push rivals toward consolidation over subsidy wars.
- A dominant strategic shareholder reshapes governance norms for late-stage startups — boards negotiating with one capital source that also funds their competitors abroad, trading independence for a guaranteed exit path.
The trend: SoftBank is assembling a controlling financial position across the global ride-hailing market, converting startup equity from venture bets into a consolidated mobility portfolio under one strategic owner.