The Money Trap: Spies, Lies, and Billionaire Rivalries Inside the Tech Bubble

A gripping and entertaining memoir that offers a rare C-suite window on the world of technology investing.

Veteran Morgan Stanley banker Alok Sama thought he’d seen it all, until he found himself at the helm of the secretive investment giant that controls global tech--SoftBank, the backer of Yahoo, TikTok, Uber, T-Mobile, DoorDash, Alibaba and WeWork, and the sponsor of the largest technology investment fund in history.

The Money Trap is a thrilling, stranger-than-fiction personal odyssey of Sama’s experiences while working alongside SoftBank’s iconic founder, Masayoshi Son, an eccentric genius who relies on ＂the Force＂ to guide his investment decisions and wants to be remembered as ＂the crazy guy who bet on the future.＂ As a high-stakes dealmaker, Sama consorted with A-list CEOs and hobnobbed with heads of state, conducting negotiations on Gulfstream jets, the terrace of a medieval castle in Germany, Son’s private sanctuary with its exquisite Japanese garden, and waterside restaurants in the Turkish Riviera--all while contending with a mysterious dark-acts smear campaign that takes a toll on his private life.

This fascinating and humorous saga provides a unique insider perspective on an industry that is disrupting our daily lives and straining our social fabric. Written with self-deprecating wit, unflinching honesty and searing introspection, The Money Trap is ultimately a morality tale: in life, as in technology investing, more money isn’t always the answer.

ALOK SAMA is the former President and CFO of SoftBank Group International. He previously served as a Managing Director of Morgan Stanley, and has worked in finance for over thirty years. He is currently a Senior Advisor to the private equity firm Warburg Pincus, and Chairman of the Advisory Board for venture capital firm Valhalla Ventures. Sama holds an MBA from The Wharton School and an MFA in Creative Writing from New York University. He lives in New York City with his wife, Maya, as do his two adult children, Samir and Alya.