SoftBank CEO defends track record, tells US investors he’ll be more careful

SoftBank Group Corp Chief Executive Masayoshi Son, under pressure from hedge fund Elliott Management to rein in his mercurial investment style, turned on the charm in a meeting with US investors on Monday, but offered few concrete concessions.

“I promise you I’ll start to be more careful and listen. My view doesn’t change, but my behavior becomes a little more careful,” sources quoted Son as telling investors who attended his presentation at the Lotte New York Palace hotel in Manhattan.

Son, who built SoftBank into a technology investment powerhouse, is now having to defend his track record after several of its expensive bets on startups, including office space-sharing firm WeWork, soured.