How this Aussie golf pro got the ear of billionaire Masayoshi Son

An injury led Paul Jones to the fairways of country Victoria and on to the upper echelons of Japan’s most intriguing technology investor.

Paul Jones, CEO of Think AR for Softbank, in Tokyo. Photo; Damon Coulter

Jessica SierNorth Asia correspondent

Dec 27, 2024 – 5.00am

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I might be allergic to sake, I inform Paul Jones as he shrugs off his jacket and sits down at the absurdly large table at the Oak Door, a wood-panelled, upmarket steakhouse in Roppongi Hills in downtown Tokyo.

We have been ushered into a private room, away from the hum of bankers and lawyers’ pre-Christmas lunches. The crowd is full of beautiful bespoke suits but is getting rowdy. Business drinking is like an Olympic sport in Japan.

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Jessica SierNorth Asia correspondentJessica Sier is the North Asia Correspondent for The Australian Financial Review. She is based in Tokyo, Japan. Jessica has previously written on technology, global capital markets and economics.