Shell Plc Downgraded by RBC as Market Headwinds Pressure Valuation 
Ericsson Plans SEK 25 Billion Shareholder Returns as Margins Improve Despite Flat Network Market 
Zijin Mining Shares Hit Record High on $4 Billion Allied Gold Acquisition 
ByteDance Finalizes Majority U.S.-Owned TikTok Joint Venture to Avert American Ban 
Baidu Shares Surge After Official Launch of Advanced Ernie 5.0 AI Model 
Boeing Posts Fourth-Quarter Profit on Jeppesen Sale Despite Ongoing Unit Losses 
California Governor Gavin Newsom Launches Review Into Alleged TikTok Content Suppression After U.S. Ownership Deal 
Elon Musk Shares Bold Vision for AI, Robots, and Space at Davos 
SoftBank Shares Surge as AI Optimism Lifts Asian Tech Stocks 
Alibaba-Backed Moonshot AI Unveils Kimi K2.5 to Challenge China’s AI Rivals 
Trump Administration Takes Stake in USA Rare Earth to Boost U.S. Critical Minerals Supply 
Citigroup Faces Lawsuit Over Alleged Sexual Harassment by Top Wealth Executive 
Micron to Expand Memory Chip Manufacturing Capacity in Singapore Amid Global Shortage 
Rewardy Wallet Integrates 1inch Swap API to Enable Gasless, Optimized Token Swaps 
U.S. Lawmakers Demand Scrutiny of TikTok-ByteDance Deal Amid National Security Concerns 
Hyundai Motor Shares Slide After Trump Signals Higher U.S. Tariffs on South Korean Goods 
Ford and GM Near Financing Deal to Support First Brands Group During Bankruptcy 
SoftBank Group Corp (TYO:9984) shares jumped sharply in early Tokyo trading after reports emerged that the Japanese conglomerate is in discussions to invest as much as $30 billion more in OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT. According to a report by the Wall Street Journal, SoftBank’s potential additional investment underscores growing global investor confidence in artificial intelligence and OpenAI’s long-term growth prospects.
The discussions are still ongoing, and the final terms of the deal could change, the report noted, citing people familiar with the matter. News of the talks was enough to excite investors, with Tokyo-listed SoftBank shares climbing more than 8% to 4,408 yen as of 01:38 GMT, marking one of the stock’s strongest intraday moves in recent months.
OpenAI is reportedly seeking to raise up to $100 billion in new funding, a massive capital raise that could value the company at as much as $830 billion if successful. Such a valuation would place OpenAI among the most valuable private companies in the world, highlighting the explosive interest in generative AI, large language models, and artificial intelligence infrastructure.
SoftBank is already one of OpenAI’s largest shareholders. Its stake reportedly increased to around 11% in December following a $22.5 billion investment, further cementing its strategic position in the fast-growing AI sector. Founder Masayoshi Son has repeatedly emphasized that artificial intelligence is central to SoftBank’s long-term vision, making OpenAI a cornerstone asset in its technology portfolio.
In addition to discussions with SoftBank, OpenAI is also said to be exploring a potential initial public offering in the future. The company is reportedly courting Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds as well as global venture capital investors as it looks to secure diversified funding sources to support expansion, research, and infrastructure development.
If finalized, SoftBank’s additional investment could further accelerate OpenAI’s growth while reinforcing SoftBank’s role as a major global backer of cutting-edge AI innovation.
