Alphabet’s Massive AI Spending Surge Signals Confidence in Google’s Growth Engine 
Sam Altman Reaffirms OpenAI’s Long-Term Commitment to NVIDIA Amid Chip Report 
Australian Scandium Project Backed by Richard Friedland Poised to Support U.S. Critical Minerals Stockpile 
Sony Q3 Profit Jumps on Gaming and Image Sensors, Full-Year Outlook Raised 
TSMC Eyes 3nm Chip Production in Japan with $17 Billion Kumamoto Investment 
Anthropic Eyes $350 Billion Valuation as AI Funding and Share Sale Accelerate 
Nasdaq Proposes Fast-Track Rule to Accelerate Index Inclusion for Major New Listings 
Baidu Approves $5 Billion Share Buyback and Plans First-Ever Dividend in 2026 
Prudential Financial Reports Higher Q4 Profit on Strong Underwriting and Investment Gains 
TrumpRx Website Launches to Offer Discounted Prescription Drugs for Cash-Paying Americans 
Nvidia Nears $20 Billion OpenAI Investment as AI Funding Race Intensifies 
Elon Musk’s Empire: SpaceX, Tesla, and xAI Merger Talks Spark Investor Debate 
AMD Shares Slide Despite Earnings Beat as Cautious Revenue Outlook Weighs on Stock 
Tencent Shares Slide After WeChat Restricts YuanBao AI Promotional Links 
Amazon Stock Rebounds After Earnings as $200B Capex Plan Sparks AI Spending Debate 
SoftBank Group (TYO:9984) is positioning itself as a global leader in the artificial superintelligence (ASI) era, with CEO Masayoshi Son stating the company’s ambition to become the central platform provider for ASI within the next decade. Speaking at the annual shareholder meeting on Friday, Son emphasized SoftBank’s strategic vision to "organize the industry" as AI surpasses current capabilities.
In a significant move, SoftBank disclosed a new investment agreement with OpenAI, bringing its total commitment to $32 billion, including previously planned funding. This investment builds on a prior pledge of up to $40 billion, valuing OpenAI at $300 billion, and establishes SoftBank as one of its most prominent backers.
Son also expressed his belief that OpenAI will eventually go public, signaling confidence in the firm’s long-term growth potential. In addition to its OpenAI investment, SoftBank is taking a leading role in the ambitious $500 billion "Stargate" initiative. The project aims to construct cutting-edge AI and robotics infrastructure in the U.S. and includes major partners such as Oracle (NYSE:ORCL), Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT), NVIDIA (NASDAQ:NVDA), and MGX.
SoftBank and OpenAI are the primary drivers behind Stargate, with SoftBank assuming key financial responsibilities. The bold investments are part of Son’s broader strategy to dominate the future of AI technology.
Shares of Tokyo-listed SoftBank (OTC:SFTBY) were trading nearly 3% higher by 03:23 GMT, reflecting investor optimism amid strong buying in Japanese markets.
These developments underscore SoftBank’s aggressive AI expansion and its pivotal role in shaping the future of artificial superintelligence platforms worldwide.
