Softbank revealed the inside story of how it took an $8 billion stake in Uber

You would think the offer of $8 billion is a compelling enough reason to sign on a new investor. But not for Uber.Rajeev Misra, the chief executive of SoftBank's $100 billion Vision Fund, said he personally spent six months convincing Uber's board to take his money.

SoftBank bought a 15% stake in Uber last year, making it the ride-hailing firm's biggest individual shareholder and triggering major governance changes.

Misra said a consortium led by SoftBank paid "$7.9 or $8 billion" to buy shares from existing Uber shareholders. SoftBank also invested a further $1.5 billion directly into the company. The deal closed in January this year.

But, Misra said, Uber could easily have turned to its existing investors, such as General Atlantic. At the time, Uber's board members tied up in a power struggle with then-CEO, Travis Kalanick.

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