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Masatoshi Itō | |
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Born | Tokyo, Japan | 30 April 1924
Died | 10 March 2023 | (aged 98)
Occupation | Businessman |
Known for | Owner, founder, and honorary chairman of Ito-Yokado |
Children | 3 |
Masatoshi Itō (伊藤 雅俊, Itō Masatoshi, 30 April 1924 – 10 March 2023) was a Japanese businessman and founder of Ito-Yokado.
Itō was born in Tokyo on 30 April 1924. His parents, Senzo and Yuki Itō, operated a dry goods shop named Yokado. [1] After finishing high school, Itō had a short stint in the Japanese military and working at what would become Mitsubishi Materials before returning to work at his parents' shop. [1] [2] Following the death of his brother in 1956, Itō took over Yokado, which was then a clothing shop. He soon renamed the company Ito-Yokado. [1] [3]
Itō was the owner, founder and honorary chairman of the $30 billion (in sales) Ito-Yokado retailing group, the second largest retailing organization in the world, which includes more than 10,000 7-Elevens in Japan and the US. Itō built the company from a small apparel store in Tokyo, into a corporation with annual revenues of more than $28 billion and a labour force of more than 125,000. The Ito-Yokado Group includes more than 10,000 7-Eleven stores in Japan and 5,800 in North America, along with 1,000 other stores, department stores, restaurants, specialty shops, supermarkets and superstores. Ito-Yokado was also the Japanese franchisee for Oshman's Sporting Goods stores, Robinson department stores, and Denny's restaurants. The company has begun opening superstores in China.[ citation needed]
In 1992, Itō resigned as president of Ito-Yokado following allegations his staff made payments to the yakuza. [4] Itō denied knowledge of the payments, though some of the money came from his wife's bank account, but nonetheless took responsibility for the payments. [5]
Itō was a significant supporter of the Peter F. Drucker and Masatoshi Ito Graduate School of Management, with an initial $3 million gift to help build the school's current home and a subsequent $20 million gift.[ citation needed] His son, Junro, earned his MBA at the Drucker School in 1989 and was active in the Drucker alumni association in Japan.[ citation needed]
Itō was married and had three children. [6] He died on 10 March 2023, at the age of 98. [3] [1] [7]