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Yasumitsu Shigeta

Yasumitsu Shigeta

Y. Shigeta
0.1% | + $6.74M
$6.75 B ₹ 61,347 Cr
Real Time Net Worth #600 Ranking as of 21 Feb 2026 By Forbes

More on Yasumitsu Shigeta

Gender

Male

Age

60Y

Country

Japan

Born On

February, 1965

Deceased

No

Relationship Status

Married

Children

3

Education

Unknown

Designation Info :

Self-Made

Yes

Entrepreneur Type

Self-Made (Telecom)

Primary Organization

Hikari Tsushin

Titles

Founder & Chairman

Sources of Wealth

Hikari Tsushin

Industry

Telecom, Retail, Investments, Technology

About Yasumitsu Shigeta


Y asumitsu Shigeta is a self-made Japanese billionaire who built his fortune in the mobile phone and technology distribution industry. He is the founder and chairman of Hikari Tsushin, a major Japanese technology and office equipment distributor. He founded the company in 1988 and achieved massive success in the 1990s as a major distributor of mobile phones, famously offering free handsets to sign up new subscribers for the mobile carriers.

During the peak of the dot-com bubble, he became, for a brief time, one of the richest people in the world, with a fortune that surpassed that of Bill Gates on paper. However, his wealth was decimated when the bubble burst in 2000, and his company's stock price collapsed by over 99%. He has since orchestrated a remarkable comeback, restructuring his company and rebuilding his fortune. Hikari Tsushin is now a diversified business with interests in office equipment, insurance, and other business services. His dramatic rise, fall, and recovery is a legendary story in Japanese business.

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Quick Reads


  • Founder and Chairman of the Japanese technology distributor Hikari Tsushin.
  • Made his first fortune as a major distributor of mobile phones in the 1990s.
  • Was briefly one of the world's richest people during the dot-com bubble.
  • Lost nearly his entire fortune when the bubble burst.
  • Has since made a remarkable comeback, rebuilding his company and his wealth.

Early Life and Background


Yasumitsu Shigeta is a Japanese businessman, the self-made billionaire Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Hikari Tsushin, Inc. (TYO: 9435), a major global provider of telecommunications, office equipment leasing, and IT services. His career is rooted in technology, finance, and entrepreneurial audacity.

Shigeta's philosophical approach centers on scale, disruption, and long-term commitment to B2B telecom and office services (pioneering the aggressive telesales and B2B marketing model). He founded Hikari Tsushin in 1988, recognizing the immense, untapped domestic demand for telecom and equipment leasing.

  • Hikari Tsushin, Inc. (Founder & Chairman/CEO): The core publicly traded asset, a major provider of telecom, office automation, and IT solutions (known for its aggressive sales strategy).
  • Technology Pioneer: His success is built on scale service delivery and dominating the domestic market for B2B telecom services and office equipment leasing.
  • Investment Strategy: His philosophy is rooted in long-term investment in service infrastructure and technology and leveraging the massive Japanese corporate market for outsourced IT.
  • Controversy/Crisis: The company experienced a major stock market crash in 2000 (the dot-com bubble) but successfully restructured and recovered.

Career Journey of Yasumitsu Shigeta


Yasumitsu Shigeta's strategic genius was his commitment to high-volume sales. He founded Hikari Tsushin in 1988, successfully building it into a national powerhouse by pioneering an aggressive telesales and direct marketing model for telecom and office equipment. His structural contribution is immense: pioneering the modern B2B telecom services model that transformed the Japanese corporate landscape.

The company faced a near-death experience during the 2000 dot-com crash when its stock plummeted from over 200,000 yen to 5,000 yen. He successfully restructured and rebuilt the company, securing its long-term viability. He remains Chairman and CEO, guiding the company's continuous expansion. His wealth is secured by the colossal, long-term, stable profitability of the global B2B technology and services sector.

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Yasumitsu Shigeta's Timeline


1988:

Founds Hikari Tsushin, Inc. (Founding).

1999 (approx.):

Hikari Tsushin achieves massive valuation during the dot-com boom (Valuation Apex 1).

2000 (March):

The stock price crashes by over 90% (Corporate Crisis).

2000s:

Shigeta successfully restructures and rebuilds the company (Turnaround).

Ongoing:

Continues as Founder, Chairman, and CEO, guiding the global technology giant (Executive Oversight).

Major Business Ventures and Investments


Yasumitsu Shigeta's wealth is concentrated in his founding equity and continued executive leadership of the publicly traded technology giant, Hikari Tsushin, Inc. (TYO: 9435), and his private investments.

  • Hikari Tsushin, Inc. (Founder & Chairman/CEO): The core publicly traded asset, a major provider of telecom, office automation, and IT solutions.
  • Technology Pioneer: His success is built on scale service delivery and dominating the domestic market for B2B telecom services and office equipment leasing.
  • Investment Strategy: His philosophy is rooted in long-term investment in service infrastructure and technology.
  • Controversy/Crisis: The company experienced a major stock market crash in 2000 (the dot-com bubble) but successfully restructured and recovered.

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Philanthropy and Social Impact


Yasumitsu Shigeta's social impact stems from Hikari Tsushin's role in providing essential telecom and IT services that support thousands of small and medium enterprises across Japan, enhancing corporate efficiency. His personal philanthropy supports various educational and community initiatives, often focused on technology access and entrepreneurial mentorship.

His personal philanthropy supports various community and educational initiatives.

Fashion, Style, and Lifestyle


Yasumitsu Shigeta maintains the professional, composed style of a corporate executive. His attire is consistently formal and high-quality, favoring tailored business suits. His aesthetic reflects serious authority and stability, typical of a leader in the global technology sector.

Residing in Tokyo, Japan, his luxury is the immense security and financial reward derived from his multi-billion dollar fortune. His life is dedicated to technology innovation, strategic management, and corporate governance.

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Quotes and Philosophy


No publicly available quotes.

Fun Facts & Trivia


  • He is the Founder and CEO of Hikari Tsushin, a major Japanese telecom and IT services provider.
  • His company experienced a major stock market crash in 2000 but successfully recovered.
  • Hikari Tsushin is known for its aggressive direct sales and M&A model.
  • His fortune is tied to the successful monetization and scale of B2B telecom services.
  • He founded the company in 1988.
  • His philosophy emphasizes efficiency and scale service delivery.

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Sources & References


This profile is compiled from verified biographical and financial records:

  • Wealth Data: Real-time tracking and historical data from Forbes Billionaires and the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
  • Biographical Records: Educational and career history sourced from Reuters, The Wall Street Journal, and official university alumni directories.
  • Regulatory Filings: Shareholder and executive disclosures from stock exchange databases, including HKEX, SSE, SZSE, and SEC EDGAR.
  • Corporate History: Primary data from annual company reports, founding charters, and verified press announcements.

All information is cross-referenced with public sources for accuracy; some narrative sections are AI-assisted summaries.

If you find any inaccuracies, please report them to admin@redcarpetlife.in

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