Japanese business magnate and SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son joined President Trump on Thursday for the groundbreaking of a new Foxconn factory in Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin. He has promised to invest $50 billion in U.S. manufacturing because of President Trump's "passion" and "energy."





Masa (SoftBank) of Japan has agreed to invest $50 billion in the U.S. toward businesses and 50,000 new jobs.... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 6, 2016

"I couldn't have decided such a thing before this new president," he said. "Because I said, now I see the passion, I see the opportunity, I'm more energized. So I made a voluntary promise. And now I'm very happy."











"I'm so happy today that my promise came to true. So this is a great historical moment because I think United States did not have the ecosystem for new technology last 20 years. And now this is a beginning of new ecosystem of high-tech manufacturing back into the United States," he also said.





PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: I have to thank a man who I gave it to. It's like handing the football off. And he ran for 2,000 yards game. Because most people couldn't have done it. [Foxconn founder] Terry [Gou] and I have had a great relationship. And Terry was thinking about doing this. And you want to talk about another successful guy, Masa Son was in my office. A friend of mine set it up. He said I want to invest $50 billion in the United States. I said, you don't mean $50 billion. You mean $50 million. That would have been okay. That would have been worth about a five-minute meeting. $50 million. So I thought he was saying $50 million. When it was set up, it was $50 million and I wanted to make it quick. But I heard about him.



He, along with Terry, they're best friends. He came out and I said, so, good, what are you going to invest in? He said, yes -- I said you can't do that for $50 million! He said, no, no, I'm going to invest $50 billion. But he spent much more than $50 billion in the United States. And that was two years ago. And now they're going to do a lot more. So I want to thank Masa Son. Are you up there? I gotta get him up here. Come. Come. Come on up here, Masa, if you can understand what I'm saying. He doesn't play games. Doesn't like small numbers, right? You proud of Terry?



MASAYOSHI SON: Yes, I am.



PRESIDENT TRUMP: Say something about Terry. Come on.



MASAYOSHI SON: Terry is my best friend. And we are the brothers.



TRUMP: What about me, no?



MASAYOSHI SON: Of course. So I promised the first I met President Trump just before you became official president. I think I was the first CEO came to celebrate you.



PRESIDENT TRUMP: That's true.



MASAYOSHI SON: And I said, $50 billion investment and 50,000 jobs to the United States. Because I couldn't have decided such a thing before this new president. Because I said, now I see the passion, I see the opportunity, I'm more energized. So I made a voluntary promise. And now I'm very happy. We're making great success and I said I have one more thing to promise, which is Foxconn. So those three things I promised. And I did not have official permission from Terry, but I promised.



PRESIDENT TRUMP: You brought him along.



MASAYOSHI SON: Yes.



PRESIDENT TRUMP: You brought him along.



MASAYOSHI SON: But I'm so happy today that my promise came to true. So this is a great historical moment because I think United States did not have the ecosystem for new technology last 20 years. And now this is a beginning of new ecosystem of high-tech manufacturing back into the United States.



PRESIDENT TRUMP: Thank you. One of the great businessmen of the world, also. Those two. That is some combination standing backstage. I said, whoa. But they like each other. They love each other. And his $50 billion turned out to be $72 billion, so far. He's not finished yet. And that doesn't include Foxconn. So, big stuff.