SoftBank Group Corp. — Ethics Grade C-

SoftBank Group Corp. receives an overall ethics grade of C- (44/100) on CancelCo's corporate accountability database. Sector: Technology. Market cap: Large Cap.

Category scores

• labor: 55
• privacy: 60
• consumer: 50
• environment: 60
• humanRights: 20

Documented incidents (3)

• WeWork Governance Failure (medium, 2019) — SoftBank encouraged the reckless expansion of WeWork despite clear signs of corporate governance dysfunction and financial instability. The subsequent collapse led to massive layoffs while the founder received a billion-dollar exit.
• Saudi Funding Controversy (high, 2018) — SoftBank faced heavy criticism for its reliance on the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF) following the murder of Jamal Khashoggi. Critics argued the company provides a platform for 'reputation laundering' via tech investments.
• Arm China Control Dispute (medium, 2020) — The loss of control over its China subsidiary Arm China highlighted risks in its aggressive international structures. The CEO of the subsidiary refused to leave, highlighting a lack of oversight in complex global partnerships.

Documented good deeds

• SB Energy Initiative — Through SB Energy, SoftBank has invested billions into large-scale solar and wind projects in India and the US, significantly increasing renewable capacity.

Ethical alternatives

• Kapor Capital — Venture fund focused exclusively on diversity and social impact tech startups.