Jose Garcia-Cantera, an analyst with Salomon Brothers, an investment bank, says the foreigners often lead in driving down costs, particularly with more efficient management in the back office.

ECONOMIST: Latin America

Born of Korean heritage in a place with little tolerance of foreigners (particularly Koreans), Son has fought the battles of an outsider all his life.

CNN: ASIANOW - TIME Asia | Asian Newsmaker 1999: Masayoshi Son--Page 1

The government's openness to wealthy foreigners contrasts with its approach more generally to immigration, a polarizing topic in Australia, particularly ahead of an election only four months away.

WSJ: Australia Offers Visa for Millionaires

He loved the work of the Mexican muralists, particularly Jose Clemente Orozco, but they were, he found, national-minded and tended not to mix with foreigners.

ECONOMIST: 20th-century art