SoftBank Group is in yet another controversy as allegations emerged that its Vision Fund chief Rajeev Misra ran a smear campaign to drive out two former company executives, the Economic Times reported quoting The Wall Street Journal.
Misra is accused of running a smear campaign to force Nikesh Arora, once the heir apparent to Group Chairman Masayoshi Son; and former CFO Alok Sama, out of the company, the paper said. He is believed to have done so in a bid to secure the spot as Son's "right-hand man", it added.
Moneycontrol could not independently verify the report.
Misra has been accused of engineering a concerted shareholder campaign to force Arora out of the company. Allegations against him also include a honey trap laid out to damage Arora's reputation via potential sexual blackmail. He has, however, constantly denied the accusations through a SoftBank spokesperson, the report noted.
Arora quit his positions at the company in 2016, while Sama exited in 2019.
Allegations against Misra come at a time when the company is at the receiving end of criticism due to bad bets in once high-flying startups. The debacle that unfolded at office-sharing startup WeWork after its IPO plans fell apart was the latest hit to SoftBank's reputation.
