As a Harvard undergraduate student, Bom Kim signed off on most emails with a self-translated quote from his entrepreneurial hero, SoftBank leader Masayoshi Son. “All I had was a dream and confidence for which I had no basis,” wrote Kim, who like Son had visions of creating an enduring, respected business.
Almost 20 years later, Kim is well on his way to emulating his idol and it is Son who is helping him achieve that goal. On Wednesday, Kim’s Coupang, South Korea’s fastest growing e-commerce company, announced that it is set to raise $1 billion from SoftBank.