Softbank, the Japanese financial giant, is in advanced negotiations for a investment which could vary between $15 and $25 billion in OpenAI, thus consolidating itself as the main financier of the famous artificial intelligence company, surpassing the 13 billion investment made by Microsoft. This move is adds to the 15 billion already earmarked for Stargate, joint venture created last week between OpenAI, SoftBank and Oracle, designed to enhance the computational capacity needed for the development of artificial intelligences such as ChatGPT, aims to respond to the growing demand for computing power in the sector.
If the deal comes to fruition, SoftBank's overall commitment to OpenAI could exceed $ 40 billion, further consolidating the position of the Japanese group in a rapidly expanding sector. This is not SoftBank's first foray into OpenAI: already in 2023, in fact, the Japanese group had acquired a $2 billion stake. With this new investment, SoftBank aims to become a key player in the architecture of the infrastructure needed to support the growing demand for computing power in the era of artificial intelligence.
The ad had a impact on Asian markets: Stocks of semiconductor companies such as Advantest Corp. rose as SoftBank shares saw a 1% decline in Tokyo, a sign of a certain caution among investors.
Masayoshi Son and the strategy on artificial intelligence
This investment fits perfectly into the Masayoshi Son's long-term vision, founder and CEO of SoftBank, who intends to consolidate the leadership Group in the artificial intelligence sectorThe operation is seen as a crucial step to strengthen the company's influence on emerging technologies and build a global infrastructure capable of supporting the expansion of AI at scale.
The Japanese giant had already attempted, with mixed results, to consolidate its position in the artificial intelligence market, a sector in which the Vision Fund of the group has made inconsistent investments. Son and the CEO of OpenAI, Sam altman, share a common vision on the evolution of AI, focusing in particular on the shortage of semiconductors, a crucial factor for the advancement of the technology.
OpenAI and the Need for Diversifying Investors
Since its founding in 2015, OpenAI has raised about $20 billion in funding, of which 13 billion come from Microsoft, its main investor. For some time now, however, Altman is trying to reduce dependence on Microsoft, exploring new sources of capital to ensure greater strategic autonomy.
SoftBank's entry would represent a important move to strengthen OpenAI in an increasingly competitive market, where new players such as Chinese DeepSeek are making inroads with cheaper solutions. Until now, the company has relied primarily on Microsoft for cloud support and computing infrastructure, but data center expansion is now a top priority for the future.
Stargate Project: Between Ambition and Uncertainty
Stargate It is, instead, the ambitious project launched by Trump which aims at data center creation advanced to meet the growing demand for computational power in artificial intelligence. The initiative, developed by OpenAI in Collaboration with Oracle and MGX (backed by Abu Dhabi), foresees an initial investment of 100 billion dollars, with the aim of reach 500 billion dollars within four years.
Despite its imposing scale, the project raises some doubts about its feasibility and transparency of funding. Prominent figures in the sector, such as Elon Musk, have already raised doubts, highlighting the challenges of the semiconductor shortage and the energy consumption needed to power large-scale data centers.
