Masayoshi Son to announce shock retirement from business?

Sad news for Son fans. Speculation had been rife that SoftBank's boss is about to announce his retirement from business, at age 68, with immediate effect.

UPDATE 21/05/2026 : This story seems to be false. (read more)

Being a business man isn't fun anymore

“As we get older, there are phases of life that we enter into, and being a business man just isn't fun anymore,” he might have said, says a source who remained anonymous. Other reports hinted that he may branch out into other creative fields he is better at (and more interested in), though they didn't provide any details.

#ThankYouMasayoshi

For a little while on Wednesday evening, #ThankYouMasayoshi was a trending hashtag on Twitter. As many fans reminisce and look back on all the unforgettable memories, some may wonder what about now made him make the decision.

“Masayoshi Son was unlike any other business man we’ve ever seen! #ThankYouMasayoshi”
— @universalObserver, 20 May 2026

“Didn't Masayoshi Son retire about 3 years ago?”
— @samy2love, 20 May 2026

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