SoftBank’s attempt last year to simultaneously pull off a pivotal sale of its T-Mobile stake and Japan’s biggest share buyback unleashed an internal row over whether the investment group risked overstepping insider dealing rules.
The clash was just one among a number of incidents that have convinced both current and former executives that the highly competitive, instinct-driven culture of Masayoshi Son’s company is often in conflict with compliance procedures.
Within the past 12 months, issues have come to light that have cast doubt on Son’s promise to strengthen governance in the wake of debacles surrounding WeWork and Greensill. Some inside the company have questioned the wisdom of combining the chief compliance officer and general legal counsel into a single role, following the sudden resignation last September of the company’s former compliance head, Chad Fentress.