Softbank’s Masayoshi Son has invested $20 million in Alibaba Group Holding Ltd (NYSE:BABA) in 2000, which is currently valued at $71 billion as the trade closed on Friday. Son is now considering investments in US to expand the reach of his company. Details of Son’s interest in acquiring Dreamworks Animation Skg Inc (NASDAQ:DWA) and Dreamworks Animation Skg Inc were described in a Wall Street Journal article.
Softbank’s Son is looking forward to make use of the benefits reaped from Alibaba Group Holding Ltd (NYSE:BABA)’s IPO. For majority of this year, Softbank was linked to a supposed acquisition of T-Mobile US Inc (NYSE:TMUS). Softbank already owns Sprint Communications Inc and with the planned acquisition of T-Mobile US Inc (NYSE:TMUS), Son was planning to rival the top mobile companies in US, Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) and AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T). But that did not go through as planned due to the regulatory opposition and Sprint called off the deal in August.
Softbank announced earlier that it is booking a gain of $5 billion from Alibaba Group Holding Ltd (NYSE:BABA)’s IPO. Even after the IPO, Softbank has the biggest stake in Alibaba Group Holding Ltd (NYSE:BABA) with more than 32% stake in the company.
In the last few months many reports linked Softbank to numerous deals and acquisitions around the world, indicating the Softbank’s quest to become one of the world’s largest company. Some of these rumors include Japan’s mobile messaging service, Line Corp., Britain based mobile network operator, Vodafone Group, Mexican wireless carrier, Grupo Iusacell and US based internet company, Yahoo! Inc. (NASDAQ:YHOO). Softbank already owns a larger stake in Yahoo Japan.
Softbank has not made any official comment on any of these rumored acquisitions and deals.
Softbank is recently rumored to be in talks with Dreamworks Animation Skg Inc (NASDAQ:DWA) for acquiring the Hollywood studio which made hit animation movies like “How to Train your Dragon” and many other.
Son’s vision to utilize the potential in US market remains unfazed even after the disrupted T-Mobile US Inc (NYSE:TMUS) deal, which is very clear from the rumored talks with Dreamworks Animation Skg Inc (NASDAQ:DWA).
Son’s idea to expand Softbank’s media content portfolio, was mainly to gain more grounds in mobile network industry in the ever-growing smartphone world. As a first step to boost their media content, they hired a top executive from Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOGL), Nikesh Arora.
If Son becomes successful in acquiring Dreamworks Animation Skg Inc (NASDAQ:DWA) as rumors suggest, that would mark a dramatic entry of a Japanese company into Hollywood in the last 25 years, after Sony Corp (NYSE:SNE)’s acquisition of Colombia pictures in 1989 and Panasonic Corporation’s acquisition of MCA, owner of Universal Studios in 1990. Both the acquisition turned out to be a flop.
As of 30 June, 2014, John Paulson‘s Paulson & Co hold around 13 million T-Mobile US Inc (NYSE:TMUS) shares and Israel Englander‘s Millenium Management hold around 196,000 Dreamworks Animation Skg Inc (NASDAQ:DWA) shares.
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