Forbes Japan Rich List 2026: Masayoshi Son Returns to Top Spot

SINGAPORE (June 9, 2026) – Masayoshi Son, the founder of SoftBank Group, has returned to the No. 1 spot on the 2026 Forbes Japan Rich List, a position he last held in 2021. The complete ranking of all 50 individuals and families is featured on the special web pages www.forbes.com/japan (English) and www.forbesjapan.com/feat/japanrich/ (Japanese), as well as in the June issue of Forbes Asia magazine.

Buoyed by a bull market driven by the global artificial intelligence (AI) boom, the Nikkei Stock Average has risen nearly 70% since the last ranking was compiled, though it was also affected by the yen's depreciation. Overall, the total net worth of Japan's top 50 richest individuals and families increased by 29% from $228 billion last year to $294 billion (approximately ¥46.8 trillion).

This year's list shows that wealth gains are concentrated among a select few. Only 14 individuals or families saw their fortunes increase. Masayoshi Son, the founder of SoftBank Group, recorded the largest wealth increase in the list's history, reclaiming the top spot for the first time since 2021. Son's net worth surged by $51.8 billion (184%) to $80 billion (approximately ¥12.7 trillion), the highest increase in both percentage and absolute terms. SoftBank reported a record net profit of ¥5 trillion ($31 billion) for the fiscal year ending March 2026, following its multi-billion-dollar investment in OpenAI, the developer of ChatGPT.

Tadashi Yanai, founder of Uniqlo, saw his wealth increase by over 30% to $65 billion (approximately ¥10.3 trillion) thanks to solid revenue and profit growth at his parent company, Fast Retailing, but he slipped to second place. Third place went to Takemitsu Takizaki, founder and honorary chairman of Keyence, with a net worth of $23.6 billion (approximately ¥3.76 trillion), up $2.9 billion from the previous year. Nobutada Saji, chairman of Suntory Holdings, came in fourth, but his wealth decreased to $9.3 billion (approximately ¥1.48 trillion) from $10.5 billion the previous year.

The Sekiya family, in fifth place, increased their net worth by $4.1 billion to $9.1 billion (approximately ¥1.45 trillion), moving up three spots. The surge in demand for AI-related products caused the stock price of their semiconductor manufacturing equipment maker, Disco, to more than double.

Six individuals or families made their debut on the list. Among them, Masakazu Idemitsu (47th place), who holds $1.15 billion (approximately ¥183 billion) in assets with his family, benefited from unexpected profits at Idemitsu Kosan, the major oil wholesaler where he serves as a director, due to soaring crude oil prices amid the Iran situation. Fumio Sakiya (36th place), founder of Rorze Corporation, a manufacturer of semiconductor and FPD (flat panel display) related equipment, also debuted on the list with a net worth of $1.55 billion (approximately ¥247 billion). The company's stock price more than doubled over the past year amid expectations of increased orders and sales growth.

The only returnee to the list was Ryuji Arai (48th place), founder of major electronics retailer Bic Camera, with a net worth of $1.13 billion (approximately ¥180 billion), returning after a one-year absence. The company reported consolidated sales of ¥508 billion and a net profit of ¥11 billion for the September 2025 to February 2026 period, a 23% increase year-on-year.

Twenty-seven individuals or families saw their wealth decline, including Takahisa Takahara (14th place), president and CEO of personal care products manufacturer Unicharm. Due to a drop in the company's stock price, Takahara's wealth decreased by nearly a third to $3.6 billion (approximately ¥573 billion).

Three individuals or families fell off the list. The Nakatani family, the founding family of medical device manufacturer Sysmex, saw the company's stock price nearly halve and its consolidated net profit for the fiscal year ending March 2026 fall by over 33% to ¥35.4 billion. The cutoff for the 50th spot on the list slightly decreased to $1.1 billion (approximately ¥175 billion) from $1.2 billion the previous year.

The top 10 of the 2026 Japan Rich List are as follows:

1. Masayoshi Son / $80 billion (approx. ¥12.7 trillion)
2. Tadashi Yanai / $65 billion (approx. ¥10.3 trillion)
3. Takemitsu Takizaki / $23.6 billion (approx. ¥3.76 trillion)
4. Nobutada Saji / $9.3 billion (approx. ¥1.48 trillion)
5. Sekiya family / $9.1 billion (approx. ¥1.45 trillion)
6. Yasumitsu Shigeta / $6 billion (approx. ¥955 billion)
7. Takao Yasuda / $4.7 billion (approx. ¥748 billion)
8. Hideyuki Busujima / $4.6 billion (approx. ¥732 billion)
9. Toichi Takenaka / $4 billion (approx. ¥636 billion)
10. Akira Mori / $3.95 billion (approx. ¥629 billion)

The list was compiled using shareholding and financial information obtained from families, individuals, stock exchanges, annual reports, and analysts. The assets of those on the list may include those of family members and relatives. The value of private companies is estimated based on comparisons with similar publicly traded companies. Net worths are based on stock prices and exchange rates as of the market close on May 22, 2026. The list includes foreigners who have business bases, residences, or other ties in Japan, as well as Japanese living abroad who are deeply connected to Japan through business or other means.

For more details, please visit the links below:

www.forbes.com/japan

www.forbesjapan.com/feat/japanrich

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