SoftBank’s investments in sharing economy backfire with Coronavirus

SoftBank’s investments in sharing economy backfire with Coronavirus

Photographer: Kiyoshi Ota/Bloomberg

Masayoshi Son has been among the most fervent believers in the sharing economy, investing billions in startups that help people split the use of cars, rooms and offices. But as the coronavirus curtails unnecessary human interaction, it’s hammering such businesses and rattling the foundations of Son’s SoftBank Group Corp.