Masayoshi Son Stakes SoftBank’s Future on AI

SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son is making his biggest wager yet: placing the company’s future at the center of an AI-driven shift. Son predicts artificial superintelligence—machines 10,000 times smarter than people—could arrive within ten years, and he has lined up deals to be ready. SoftBank owns a majority of Arm, the chip designer it bought in 2016 for about $32 billion and now valued at more than $145 billion.  ARM’s designs underpin most smartphones and are increasingly important for data center systems that power AI. In March, SoftBank agreed to acquire server-chip maker Ampere Computing for $6.5 billion.  The group also plans to invest about 4.8 trillion yen ($32.7 billion) in OpenAI and has backed a range of AI companies across software, cloud, robotics, and applications. Former executives say Son’s fixation with AI predates today’s boom. A decade ago he spoke of “brain computers” and pushed into robotics through Aldebaran and the Pepper humanoid, which was ultimately discontinued in 2020 and later sold.  Son’s Vision Fund, launched in 2017 with $100 billion, made splashy bets on Uber, Didi, and others, but heavy losses in 2022–2023 forced a defensive stance just as ChatGPT-era advances took off. Even so, SoftBank argues it is still early in the global AI cycle and has restocked its portfolio, including stakes in autonomous driving such as UK startup Wayve.  The opportunity is vast but risky: fast-moving chips, models, and rivals could upend leaders overnight, as seen when China’s DeepSeek startled markets with a lower-cost reasoning model. Analysts say Son’s strategy covers everything from chips to applications to build a durable network, but success still depends on picking the winners.  Despite past missteps, Son insists SoftBank will embed the DNA to thrive for the next 300 years—and is paying up to do it. Son frames the mission as personal, saying he was “born to realize ASI.” Former partners recall he once saw self-driving cars as the first AI wave, a view that shaped bets on ride-hailing and autonomy. SoftBank missed an early chance to lead OpenAI funding after Microsoft stepped in, but it accelerated with Vision Fund II.