Chairman & CEO Rakuten Group
Founder, Chairman and CEO of Rakuten Group. Representative Director of Japan Association of New Economy (JANE). Withdrew Rakuten from Keidanren business federation in 2011. Donated $8.7M personally to Ukraine in 2022; banned from Russia in 2024.
On July 24, 2024, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced an entry ban on 13 Japanese business executives including Hiroshi Mikitani. The decision was described as 'a response to Japan's ongoing sanctions against our country in connection with the special military operation.' Mikitani had previously donated $8.7 million to Ukraine.
On February 27, 2022, Hiroshi Mikitani announced a personal donation of ¥1 billion (approximately $8.7 million USD) to the Ukrainian government to support it during the Russian invasion. This was a personal contribution, not a corporate donation from Rakuten.