SoftBank Prez Nikesh Arora Quits, Chills Like a Boss on Twitter

The ex-Googler has been waiting in the wings to become the company’s CEO.

Nikesh Arora will act as adviser to the company. (Photo: AP)

SoftBank Group on Tuesday has confirmed that president and chief operating officer Nikesh Arora, who was seen as the potential successor to the Japanese company’s chairman and chief executive Masayoshi Son, is about to step down on Wednesday.

The outgoing SoftBank president took to Twitter to announce the development himself, and stated that he’s got clean chit from the company.

SoftBank cited differences between Arora and Son over when Arora would replace him as head of the group.

Much to everyone’s surprise, Arora has been openly responding to queries via Twitter, and it goes to the extent where a user cheekily asks if given a chance, would he consider the chance to replace Raghuram Rajan as the new RBI Governor, to which he responded with:

Arora wanted to begin the handover process in a few years time, while Son planned to stay on for the time-being to ensure the company’s transformation into a global Internet company, SoftBank said.

Son said in a statement that he did not want to keep Nikesh waiting for the top job, and Arora seems to have taken it on the chin;

Nikesh will stay with Softbank as an adviser from July 1, the company said.

(With agency inputs.)