Silicon Valley's Saudi ties face fresh scrutiny in wake of Khashoggi affair

SoftBank, the world's largest tech investment fund, partnered with the Kingdom to pump billions into America's startups

In December 2016, newly elected Donald Trump pulled a beaming Japanese billionaire named Masayoshi Son into a half-hug in front of cameras and reporters gathered in the golden lobby of Trump Tower. "Ladies and gentlemen," Trump said with a smile, "this is Masa from SoftBank of Japan, and he has just agreed to invest $50bn into the United States."

Along with the promise of 50,000 new American jobs, the announcement was considered an early win for the president-elect. But, Son, the CEO of a Tokyo-based telecommunications conglomerate, had bigger ideas. He had already begun solidifying plans to build the largest tech investment fund in history, with an eye on Silicon Valley's startups.