Masayoshi Son Reclaims Top Spot On 2026 Forbes List Of Japan’s 50 Richest

Collective wealth of Japan's 50 Richest grows 29% to US$294 Billion

SINGAPORE (June 9, 2026) - SoftBank Group founder Masayoshi Son reclaims the No. 1 spot on the 2026 Forbes list of Japan's 50 Richest. Son last topped the list in 2021. The complete list can be found here and www.forbesjapan.com/feat/japanrich, as well as in the June issue of Forbes Asia.

A stock market bull run, driven by the global AI frenzy, lifted the benchmark Nikkei 225 index nearly 70% since fortunes were last measured, though the weaker yen took its toll. Overall, the wealth of Japan's 50 richest grew 29% to US$294 billion from $228 billion.

Gains this year were concentrated among a few listees - 14 fortunes were up - with SoftBank Group founder Masayoshi Son bringing in a record haul and reclaiming the No. 1 position after a four-year gap. Son's net worth swelled by $51.8 billion or 184% to $80 billion, making him the biggest gainer in both percentage and dollar terms. SoftBank reported a record net profit of ¥5 trillion ($31 billion) for the year ended March 31, following its multibillion dollar investment in ChatGPT-maker OpenAI.

Uniqlo billionaire Tadashi Yanai slipped to second place, despite his wealth rising more than a third to $65 billion, boosted by solid growth in revenue and net profit at parent company Fast Retailing. Takemitsu Takizaki of Keyence takes the third spot on the list, with his wealth up $2.9 billion to $23.6 billion. Nobutada Saji of Suntory Holdings is at No. 4, with $9.3 billion, down from $10.5 billion last year.

The Sekiya family climbed three spots to No. 5 after adding $4.1 billion to take their net worth to $9.1 billion. Shares of their chip-equipment maker, Disco, more than doubled on surging demand for AI-related products.

The six entrants on this year's list include Masakazu Idemitsu (No. 47), who shares a $1.15 billion fortune with his family and whose refining giant Idemitsu Kosan got a windfall from surging crude oil prices in the wake of the Iran conflict. Also making his debut is Fumio Sakiya (No. 36, $1.55 billion), founder of Rorze, which makes equipment for semiconductors and flat-panel displays. The stock more than doubled over the past year on the company's forecast of higher sales amid optimism over increased orders.

The sole returnee, after a year's gap, is Ryuji Arai (No. 48, $1.13 billion), founder of electronics and appliances retailer Bic Camera. The company reported a 23% rise in net profit of ¥11 billion on sales of ¥508 billion for the first half ended February 28.

A total of 27 fortunes fell, including that of Takahisa Takahara (No. 14), president and CEO of personal-products maker Unicharm, whose wealth was down nearly a third to $3.6 billion as the company's shares declined.

Three dropped from the ranks, including the Nakatani family, whose medical testing equipment maker Sysmex's shares nearly halved as net profit plunged more than a third to ¥35.4 billion for the year to March 31. The minimum net worth to make the list edged down to $1.1 billion from $1.2 billion the previous year.

The top 10 richest in Japan are:

1. Masayoshi Son; US$80 billion
2. Tadashi Yanai; $65 billion
3. Takemitsu Takizaki; $23.6 billion
4. Nobutada Saji; $9.3 billion
5. Sekiya family; $9.1 billion
6. Yasumitsu Shigeta; $6 billion
7. Takao Yasuda; $4.7 billion
8. Hideyuki Busujima; $4.6 billion
9. Toichi Takenaka; $4 billion
10. Akira Mori; $3.95 billion

This list was compiled using shareholding and financial information obtained from the families and individuals, stock exchanges, annual reports and analysts. The ranking lists both individual and family fortunes, including those shared among relatives. Private companies were valued based on similar companies that are publicly traded. Net worths were based on stock prices and exchange rates as of the close of markets on May 22, 2026. The list can also include foreign citizens with business, residential or other ties to the country, or citizens who don't reside in the country but have significant business or other ties to the country.

For more information, visit www.forbes.com/japan and www.forbesjapan.com/feat/japanrich

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