????自從日本在上世紀80年代收購洛克菲勒中心（the Rockefeller Center）以來，無所不能的日元和日本企業(yè)的收購還從未在美國本土產(chǎn)生如此強烈的反響。本周,日本第三大移動運營商軟銀（Softbank)宣布以201億美元收購當前經(jīng)營不善的斯普林特（Sprint），創(chuàng)下日本迄今為止最大、也是最具爭議的對外投資。

????就在這家日本公司購入斯普林特70%股份之時，投資者正在紛紛撤離美國科技股。但軟銀股價反彈似乎顯示這個大膽的舉動已經(jīng)贏得了一些支持?！拔覀児烙嬚蠈a(chǎn)生200億至400億美元的直接費用協(xié)同效應，”瑞士信貸（Credit Suisse）分析師在一份報告中寫道?！败涖y注入的新資本將使斯普林特有能力相對于美國電話電報公司（AT&T）和威瑞森（Verizon）改善頻段資源?！?/p>

????報告還指出，軟銀在創(chuàng)新和成本管理方面也有很好的記錄。但有一個因素被低估了。軟銀董事長孫正義。從軟件銷售起步的孫正義將軟銀（軟件銀行，聽起來有些怪怪的）變成了日本毫無爭議的扭虧為盈企業(yè)之王。

????自稱“賭徒”的孫正義在提升公司競爭力方面有過輝煌的歷史，這次希望能在斯普林特身上再創(chuàng)奇跡?！罢缥覀冊谌毡咀龅降哪菢樱覀兪召彽囊苿訕I(yè)務實現(xiàn)了盈利V型回升，我們在強手林立的市場中通過推出差異化產(chǎn)品和創(chuàng)新服務，獲得了引人矚目的增長，”他在與收購新聞稿同步發(fā)出的一份書面聲明中稱。

????他指的是，他實現(xiàn)了日本電信（Japan Telecom）、沃達豐（Vodaphone）和Willcom的扭虧為盈。他2006年收購沃達豐日本（Vodaphone Japan）的交易與這次的斯普林特交易特別相似。比如，收購沃達豐也耗費了他約200億美元的現(xiàn)金，也同樣被投資者視為是過于冒險。軟銀股價一度狂跌60%。孫正義對批評充耳不聞，他的計劃是通過提高市場份額和單位用戶收入，打破這個行業(yè)普遍的低增長現(xiàn)狀。孫正義稱，軟銀是少數(shù)幾家這么做的運營商之一，軟銀利潤增長了5倍。

????如此一意孤行，追求一系列看似不太可能的項目，讓他在日本贏得了瘋子的名聲。“很多人批評我是個瘋子，這點我接受，”他說?！暗袝r，瘋狂能產(chǎn)生好的結果?！彼姆椒ㄒ恢本褪谴罅吭黾又悄苁謾C和平板電腦的銷售，通過出售速度更快的無線網(wǎng)絡接入服務，提高軟銀對消費者的吸引力。他表示，會將這一策略拓展到此次收購上。

????駐東京的科技業(yè)顧問Mark Hiratsuka表示，他這種美國式的特立獨行可能會讓收購斯普林特的押注取得成功?！霸谌毡荆涖y一直都被視為‘文化異類’，迥異于Docomo等公司；這幾乎完全是因為個人崇拜，對其領導人孫正義的崇拜，”他談到在日本Twitter粉絲數(shù)最多的孫正義時說。“有一點我們不應忽視，孫正義身為日本第二大富翁，或許有助于他按個人氣質(zhì)打造一家像軟銀這樣的公司。同樣有幫助的還有，他是在美國上的中學——這看似無關緊要，但的確給了他在業(yè)務交易上的國際視野?！?/p>

????Not since Japan snapped up the Rockefeller Center in the 1980s has the power of a mighty yen and an acquisitive Japan Inc. reverberated so strongly in the United States. This week's $20.1 billion deal between Japan's number three mobile carrier Softbank and the moribund Sprint is Japan's largest outbound investment ever to date, and equally controversial.

????The Japanese firm now has a 70% stake in a large chunk of the US tech landscape that, at first, had investors bolting from the scene. But as Softbank's (SFTBF) shares rebounded the bold move has convinced some. "We estimate that consolidation could yield $20 billion to $40 billion in direct expense synergies over time," Credit Suisse analysts wrote in a report on the merger. "New capital from Softbank will also allow Sprint to meaningfully improve its spectrum position relative to AT&T and Verizon."

????The report also points out that Softbank has a strong track record of innovation and cost management. That is something of an understatement. Consider Masayoshi Son, Softbank's chairman. With roots in software sales, he turned Softbank -- a "bank" of software, hence the odd sounding name -- into the undisputed turnaround king of Japanese commerce.

????A self-proclaimed gambling man, Son has a history of improving his company's competitive position and plans to revisit his past successes with this American venture. "As we have proven in Japan, we have achieved a V-shaped earnings recovery in the acquired mobile business and grown dramatically by introducing differentiated products and innovative services to an incumbent-led market," he said in a statement released to coincide with the announcement of the merger plans.

????He was referring to his turnaround of ventures such as Japan Telecom, Vodaphone, and Willcom. His purchase of Vodaphone Japan in 2006 has particular parallels with the Sprint deal. The Vodafone acquisition, for one, also cost him about $20 billion in cash and was similarly negatively received by investors as an overly risky bet. Softbank's share price dropped 60%. Ignoring the critics, Son's plan was to beat the industry's characteristically flat growth by increasing market share and average revenue per user. Softbank went on to be one of the few carriers to do this, improving Softbank's profits by five times according to Son.

????Such chutzpah and a taste for a string of unlikely projects has earned him a reputation of an eccentric in Japan. "Many people criticize me as a crazy guy, but I accept that," he says. "But sometimes craziness produces a good result." His formula has been to multiply smartphone and tablet sales, while increasing Softbank's appeal to customers by peddling faster wireless connections. A strategy he says he will extend to this acquisition.

????His American-style maverick ways could make the Sprint gambit a success says Tokyo-based technology consultant Mark Hiratsuka. "Softbank has long been seen here as 'culturally' different to the likes of Docomo; due almost entirely to a cult of personality presided over by its Dear Leader, Mr. Son," he says of Son, who has the most Twitter followers in Japan. "It should not be overlooked that being the second-richest person in Japan probably helps Son mould a firm like Softbank in his own image. It also helps that he went to high school in the US -- seemingly trivial, but it does give him an international outlook on business dealings and empires have turned on less."