How SoftBank’s Masayoshi Son met the ‘American Father’ who became his mentor

Affectionately known as “Ted” to everyone around him, Theodore A. Dolata was the driving force behind Son’s advancement into the limelight of the global business world.

Masayoshi Son at SoftBank World 2016 / Photo credit: SoftBank

The following is an edited excerpt from Aiming High – A Biography of Masayoshi Son by Atsuo Inoue. The excerpt was provided by YouTeacher Publishing. You can buy a copy here.

Theodore A. Dolata, who served as President of SoftBank America, Inc. says, “Mr. Son sometimes makes a lunch appointment in San Francisco and then makes an appointment with another person in New York. This is impossible. However, in pursuing his business, this is not impossible to him. He is an exquisite man. The idea to have lunch at New York and San Francisco on the same day occurs naturally to him.”

There are few Americans who understand Masayoshi as much as Dolata does. People around them call him Masayoshi’s “American father.” This “American father” label attests to two of Masayoshi’s exceptional qualities. One is his penetrating insight to grasp the nature of a problem. He quickly responds to matters accordingly. The other quality is to work unbelievably hard. Although there are many people who work hard, Masayoshi differentiates himself by constantly adopting new ideas and perspectives along the way. He is superior to others on this point.

However, I dare say, if Son had not met the man I am about to describe, his worldwide success today might have not been possible.

Son’s driving force

He has a round face and wide forehead that resembles Professor Ochanomizu, the creator of Astro Boy in Osamu Tezuka’s comic, Astro Boy, or perhaps, Professor Egghead, the corporate logo of Egghead Software, which was once largest software retailer in America. Although the man always has a smile on his face, his gaze can, at times, be piercing. He is a very wise man. His name is Theodore Dolata.

Affectionately known as “Ted” to everyone around him, Dolata was the driving force behind Son’s advancement into the limelight of the global business world. If he didn’t encounter Dolata, Son’s global strategy would have been more lenient and perhaps different from what it is now. What kind of person could have influenced Son’s way of getting onto the world stage? For Son, Dolata is his “American Father.” Son learned many things from this man, from table manners to the American way of doing business.

In July 1988, Son founded SoftBank America and Dolata was appointed chief executive. Son met with Dolata two years prior to this, when the latter was 52 years old. As a middle-aged American man, Dolata lived his life energetically, with much perseverance. He was originally from Poland. After working in the technical world for some time, he obtained a Ph.D. He was a capable man who had succeeded in life.

Such a man was searching for new opportunities as he was reaching 50 – the turning point of his life. Dolata lived in California and worked for Interactive Systems, a major Unix vendor. It was yet a small company – just one of the many that sprouted within the computer industry with unknown possibilities. Dolata was an established engineer. However, he aspired to do something different in the second chapter of his life. A burning passion motivated him as well.

Dolata once worked at Bell Labs, one of the world’s most prominent research and development facilities. The lab had approximately 30 thousand staff members in 25 countries and had produced 11 Nobel Prize winners. One of Dolata’s colleagues was sent to Tokyo and happened to meet with Son. At the time, Son was looking for someone to work together with in pursuing Unix-related business.

“A man named Son is looking for someone like you,” his colleague said to Dolata, “if you’re interested, why don’t you contact him?”

A difficult trip

Dolata immediately called Son. He might have seen some potential in coming into contact with this man. Son quickly responded, “I have something important to discuss with you. Can you come to Tokyo tomorrow?”

“That… would be a little difficult,” a dumbstruck Dolata answered, after putting some thought into it. But he was going to Australia for a business trip in two or three days. “I shall stop by Tokyo on my way back from Australia,” he said.

Mommy!