SoftBank Group announced the departure of COO Marcelo Claure (pictured) after nine years with the company, a move media reports suggest could be related to a dispute with chairman and CEO Masayoshi Son over compensation.

A statement simply noted the two parties arrived at a mutual decision, with Son adding Claure had made a significant contribution to SoftBank’s business.

Claure joined the group in 2013 and had reportedly held talks about leaving for several months to start an investment fund. Bloomberg reported he was seeking as much as $1 billion in compensation for his contributions.

The company appointed Michel Combes (pictured left) as CEO of SoftBank Group International (SBGI), another role occupied by Claure.

Combes was appointed president of SBGI in June 2020 and was CEO of Sprint before a merger with T-Mobile US.

Son expressed “great confidence in Michel Combes and the talented SoftBank team to continue with the great work we have underway at SBGI”.

SoftBank stated Claure helped lead many significant projects, including a turnaround of Sprint and its merger, a repositioning of WeWork and the launch of a Latin America venture capital fund.