- In 2019, Masayoshi Son’s Softbank swiftly invested $1.5B into London-based Greensill Capital.
- Founded in 2011 by former Morgan Stanley banker Lex Greensill, GC focused on extending short-term loans to companies (primarily suppliers) under relatively loose terms.
- Masa celebrated Greensill as a source of capital for Softbank’s other startup investments.
- However, Greensill faced difficulty accessing capital when Covid-19 started, limiting its ability to extend loans and souring the relationship with Masa.
- Despite a $400M Softbank capital infusion (December 2020), Greensill filed for insolvency last month.
