SoftBank’s $250 billion mistake: How Masayoshi Son sold Nvidia too soon and missed a fortune

Masayoshi Son missed Nvidia $250 billion fortune: Nvidia has officially become the world’s first publicly traded company to surpass a $5 trillion valuation, marking a historic milestone in the tech world. But for one man, the moment is bittersweet.

Masayoshi Son’s $250 Billion Missed Opportunity As Nvidia Hits $5 Trillion

SoftBank founder and CEO Masayoshi Son once held nearly 5% of Nvidia, a stake that could have been worth about $250 billion at present. Instead, he sold it all in 2019 for roughly $3.6 billion, as per a report.

Back then, SoftBank was Nvidia’s largest shareholder. The stake had been purchased for about $700 million through Son’s Vision Fund, and the $3.6 billion sale seemed like a smart move at the time.

Nvidia Becomes the World’s Most Valuable Company

But with Nvidia’s massive rise, its shares climbing over 3% on Wednesday to around $207.85, pushing its market cap from $4.89 trillion to $5.06 trillion, that decision now looks like one of the costliest missed opportunities in corporate history.

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When Jensen Huang and Masayoshi Son ‘Cried Together’

The story took a humorous turn at Nvidia’s AI Summit in Tokyo in late 2024, where Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang invited Son on stage. The two friends shared a laugh and a moment of mock sorrow over SoftBank’s early exit, as per a Benzinga report. Son jokingly pretended to cry on Huang’s shoulder over SoftBank's exit, which prompted Huang to jokingly say that, "We can cry together," which drew more laughter from the audience, as per the Benzinga report.

When Son Offered Huang Money to Buy Nvidia

Son once offered to lend Huang the money to buy Nvidia outright, telling him years ago, “The market does not understand the value of Nvidia. Your future is incredible,” as quoted in the report.

Huang admitted that declining the offer might have been a missed chance of his own, saying, Now I regret not taking you up on it. That was a great idea," quoted Benzinga.

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Missed Nvidia-Arm Merger

Their conversations years earlier had even touched on merging Nvidia with Arm Holdings, which SoftBank had acquired in 2016 for $32 billion. That plan never materialized, and Arm later went public again in 2023.

A $250 Billion ‘What If’

Despite missing out on Nvidia’s unprecedented growth, Son’s SoftBank remains a powerful player in the AI ecosystem, and still owns Arm, a cornerstone of modern computing. But as Nvidia continues its climb past every valuation record, the $250 billion that got away will likely remain one of the most painful “what ifs” in Son’s storied career.

FAQs

Why did SoftBank sell its Nvidia stake in 2019?
SoftBank sold its Nvidia shares to raise funds for its Vision Fund investments, which were expanding rapidly at the time, as per the Benzinga report.

How much did SoftBank make from selling Nvidia?
SoftBank sold its entire 4.9% stake for about $3.6 billion, after initially investing around $700 million, as per the Benzinga report.