Early Life
Raúl Marcelo Claure Bedoya was born in La Paz, Bolivia, on December 9, 1970. Due to his father's work as a geologist for the United Nations, Claure spent his early childhood in various locations, including Morocco and the Dominican Republic, before returning to La Paz. He attended the American Cooperative School in La Paz and later pursued higher education in the United States.
Rise to Success
Claure's entrepreneurial journey began in 1997 when he founded Brightstar Corp. in Miami, Florida. Brightstar quickly became a leading wireless distribution company, initially targeting the Latin American market. Claure expanded Brightstar into a global enterprise, eventually selling a majority stake to SoftBank in 2014. He then became the CEO of Sprint, which SoftBank had acquired a majority stake in 2012, where he led a successful turnaround. During his tenure, Sprint merged with T-Mobile in a $195 billion deal, creating a major telecommunications company. From 2020 to early 2022, he served as the CEO of SoftBank Group International and COO of SoftBank Group Corporation.
Key Business Strategies
Claure's success is attributed to his strategic vision and execution. At Brightstar, he revolutionized the distribution model for mobile phones, capitalizing on the growing demand in Latin America. His leadership at Sprint involved implementing cost-saving measures, and successfully merging with T-Mobile. After the merger, Claure became CEO of SoftBank Group International, where he oversaw a large portfolio of companies and launched the $8 billion SoftBank Latin America Fund.
Philanthropy
Claure is involved in various philanthropic initiatives. He co-founded the One Laptop Per Child program and the 1Million Project Foundation, which provides internet access to high school students. He supports Aspire Institute and other organizations focused on education and technology.