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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.
