Editing SoftBank Group (section)

===1995–2009 expansion===
In the 1990s, Son made large investments in [[Internet services]] and the so-called [[new economy]] in general. SoftBank bought [[COMDEX]] from The Interface Group on 1 April 1995 for $800 million and ZDI on 29 February 1996.<ref>{{Cite news |first=Andrew |last=Pollack |date=1995-02-19 |title=A Japanese Gambler Hits the Jackpot With Softbank |language=en-US |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/02/19/business/a-japanese-gambler-hits-the-jackpot-with-softbank.html |access-date=2017-12-10 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Caulfield |first=Brian |date=1 September 2003 |title=Worst in Show How Key3Media, the company behind the big tech trade show Comdex, went bankrupt |url=https://money.cnn.com/magazines/business2/business2_archive/2003/09/01/348383/index.htm |access-date=2017-12-10 |website=CNN Money}}</ref> SoftBank sold COMDEX to Key3Media, a spin-off of [[Ziff Davis]], in 2001.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Business News – Latest Headlines on CNN Business - CNN |url=https://money.cnn.com/magazines/business2/business2_archive/2003/09/01/348383/index.htm |website=CNN}}</ref> In 1996, SoftBank formed a [[joint venture]] with American internet company [[Yahoo!]], creating [[Yahoo! Japan]] (now [[LY Corporation]]), which would become a dominant site in the country.<ref>{{Cite web |date=16 August 1999 |title=Mr. Japan.com How Son Captured Japan's Internet Economy |url=https://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/1999/08/16/264312/index.htm |website=money.cnn.com}}</ref>

In another highly publicized investment, SoftBank bought 80% of memory manufacturers [[Kingston Technology]] in 1996. When the owners-founders (John Tu and David Sun) announced plans to distribute $100,000,000 of the $1.5B windfall to Kingston employees, it created a very high-profile media stir that lasted well through the 1996 Christmas season; it was on all US networks, as well as international media. A few years later, in 1999, after the market for memory softened substantially, SoftBank sold the company back at a loss to the original owners for about a third of the original price.<ref>{{cite web |date=1999-07-15 |title=2 Founders to Buy Back Kingston Stake From Softbank |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-jul-15-fi-56161-story.html |access-date=2022-09-11 |website=Los Angeles Times }}</ref>

In October 1999, SoftBank became a [[holding company]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://group.softbank/philosophy/history|title=ソフトバンクグループの歩み|website=ソフトバンクグループ株式会社}}</ref> In 2000, SoftBank made its most successful investment{{snd}}$20 million to a then-fledgling Chinese Internet venture called [[Alibaba Group|Alibaba]].<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Sender |first1=Henny |last2=Ling |first2=Connie |date=2000-01-18 |title=Softbank to Invest $20 Million In Hong Kong's Alibaba.com |language=en-US |work=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB948202996877749173 |access-date=2017-12-11 |issn=0099-9660}}</ref> This investment turned into $60 billion when Alibaba went public in September 2014.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Galani |first=Una |title=Valuing SoftBank in Alibaba's Aftermath |language=en |work=DealBook |date=22 September 2014 |url=https://dealbook.nytimes.com/2014/09/22/valuing-softbank-in-alibabas-aftermath/ |access-date=2017-10-20}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Pfanner |first=Eric |date=2014-09-19 |title=SoftBank's Alibaba Alchemy: How to Turn $20 Million Into $50 Billion |url=https://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2014/09/19/softbanks-alibaba-alchemy-how-to-turn-20-million-into-50-billion/ |access-date=2017-12-11 |website=WSJ |language=en-US}}</ref>

In February 2000, SoftBank Ventures Asia was founded under the leadership of Masayoshi Son to focus on investment in Korean-based Internet companies.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|last=Ji-young|first=Sohn|date=2019-01-28|title=[Herald Interview] Rebranded SoftBank Ventures Asia to form new fund for AI startups in Asia|url=http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20190128000527|access-date=2021-08-25|website=The Korea Herald|language=en}}</ref>[[File:SoftBank Hankyu-Ibaraki.JPG|thumb|250px|right|SoftBank store in [[Ibaraki, Osaka|Ibaraki]], [[Osaka]], Japan]]
On 28 January 2005, SoftBank became the owner of the [[Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks]], a [[Nippon Professional Baseball]] team. On 17 March 2006, SoftBank announced its agreement to buy [[Vodafone Japan]], giving it a stake in Japan's $78 billion mobile markets. In April 2006, SoftBank purchased a 23% stake in [[Betfair]], an Internet betting exchange. In August 2006, SoftBank sold all its shares of [[SBI Group]] to a subsidiary of SBI's holding company, making SBI independent. On 1 October 2006, Vodafone Japan changed its corporate name and service brand name to "SoftBank Mobile" and "SoftBank" respectively.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2006-07-13 |script-title=ja:ボーダフォン、メールのドメイン名も「ソフトバンク」へ──10月1日から |url=http://plusd.itmedia.co.jp/mobile/articles/0607/13/news050.html |access-date=2013-07-02 |publisher=ITmedia Mobile |language=Japanese}}</ref>

On 28 January 2008, it was announced that SoftBank and [[Tiffany & Co.]] collaborated in making a limited 10 model-only phone. This phone contains more than 400 platinum diamonds, totaling more than 20 carats. The cost is said to be more than 100,000,000 yen.<ref>{{Cite news |script-title=ja:上戸彩：超高価ケータイ「ないしょにしてね」 |language=Japanese |work=Sports Nippon |url=http://mainichi.jp/enta/geinou/news/20080129spn00m200016000c.html |access-date=2008-01-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080130125848/http://mainichi.jp/enta/geinou/news/20080129spn00m200016000c.html |archive-date=2008-01-30}}</ref>
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