SoftBank's Masayoshi Son to Drop Flamboyant Earnings Presentation

Masayoshi Son, the billionaire boss of SoftBank Group Corp., has long presided over a quarterly earnings ritual of zany slide presentations. One included a goose laying multibillion-dollar golden eggs and another flock of unicorns flying upward along a chart of growth in artificial intelligence. Mr. Son is planning to step back from the routine when the giant technology investor delivers its earnings Friday, instead greeting attendees with short remarks before handing the baton to his chief financial officer, according to a SoftBank agenda for the event. It is slated to be a more sedate presentation than those from Mr. Son, who also isn't planning on taking questions from the media, according to people familiar with the company. The more subdued role--which is likely to continue, the people said--comes as Toyko-based SoftBank, the world's most active startup investor in recent years, is in the midst of a difficult run.