Jeff Bezos Once Admired How Sony Set Out To Change Japan's Image After World War II — And If You'd Put $1,000 Into The Company's Stock 40 Years Ago, Here's How Much You'd Have Today

Amazon.com, Inc. founder Jeff Bezos has long admired Sony Group Corporation's (NYSE:SONY) mission to transform Japan's reputation for quality, and its legacy has also delivered impressive long-term gains for investors.

What Happened: In a 2012 interview with host Charlie Rose, Bezos highlighted Sony's postwar mission as a rare example of a company setting a purpose bigger than itself.

"Right after World War II, Akio Morita — the guy who founded Sony — set as the mission for Sony that they were going to make Japan known for quality," Bezos said.

"You have to remember, this was a time when Japan was known for cheap, copycat products. And Morita didn't say, ‘We're going to make Sony known for quality.' He said, ‘We're going to make Japan known for quality.' He chose a mission for Sony that was bigger than Sony."

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Bezos explained that this philosophy inspired Amazon's own mission to become "Earth's most customer-centric company," aiming for impact far beyond its own bottom line.

Why It's Important: Sony was founded on May 7, 1946, in Tokyo, Japan, by engineer Masaru Ibuka and physicist Akio Morita. As of today, May 7, 2025, the company marks its 79th anniversary.

Originally named Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo K.K., Sony started by repairing radios and soon became a global pioneer in electronics, entertainment, and gaming.

If you had invested $1,000 in Sony stock exactly 40 years ago, on May 7, 1985, you would now hold an investment worth approximately $21,203, accounting for all the adjustments.

What’s Next: Today, Sony's semiconductor division remains the world's largest image sensor supplier, providing key components for devices like Apple Inc.'s iPhones — though this may change, as reports suggest Cupertino plans to switch to Samsung Electronics' camera sensors as early as 2026.

Still, in 2024, Sony marked a major milestone, announcing it had shipped over 20 billion image sensors, doubling its total in just five years since reaching 10 billion units in May 2019.

The company behind PlayStation is expected to report its fourth-quarter earnings on May 13, 2025. In its previous earnings report for the third quarter, Sony posted strong results.

The company's total sales grew 18% compared to the same period last year, reaching $28.97 billion (4.41 trillion yen), higher than analysts’ expectations of $23.78 billion.

During the same quarter, Sony’s music business grew strongly, with revenue rising 14% to ¥481.7 billion and profit (operating income) jumping 28% to ¥97.4 billion. The company's film and TV segment also did well, with revenue up 9% to ¥398.2 billion. 

Sony, which was listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 1970, currently has a market capitalization of $155 billion, making it the 99th most valuable company in the world by market cap. Over the past year, Sony shares have surged by 53.21%, and they are up 18.63% year-to-date, according to Benzinga Pro.

Photo Courtesy: Lev Radin on Shutterstock.com

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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of Benzinga Neuro and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.