SoftBank Group CEO Masayoshi Son is planning to borrow $16 billion to invest in artificial intelligence, according to a report from The Information. The Japanese tech giant could borrow another $8 billion in early 2026, bringing its total AI-related investments closer to $40 billion.
SoftBank’s AI Ambitions
🔹 In January, SoftBank was reportedly in talks to invest up to $25 billion in OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT.
🔹 The firm has already committed $15 billion to Stargate, a major AI initiative.
🔹 SoftBank previously sought to secure $18.5 billion in financing, backed by its publicly traded assets.
Stargate: The $500B AI Powerhouse
Stargate, a joint venture between Oracle, OpenAI, and SoftBank, aims to invest up to $500 billion to help the U.S. maintain its AI leadership over China and other competitors. The initiative was announced at the White House by:
✅ Masayoshi Son (SoftBank CEO)
✅ Sam Altman (OpenAI CEO)
✅ Larry Ellison (Oracle Chairman)
✅ Former U.S. President Donald Trump
With SoftBank aggressively expanding into AI, Son’s massive bet on the future of artificial intelligence signals a new phase of competition in the global AI race.