SoftBank completes $40 billion OpenAI investment, securing 11% stake in ChatGPT maker

SoftBank has completed its $40 billion investment in OpenAI, CNBC reports

Dec 30 (Reuters) - SoftBank Group (9984.T), opens new tab has completed its $40 billion investment in OpenAI, CNBC reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter. The Japanese conglomerate and the ChatGPT maker did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment. In early 2025, SoftBank agreed to lead a funding round of up to $40 billion in OpenAI, in a deal that would make it one of the biggest private tech investments ever. SoftBank has been building one of the largest private technology investment programs in the world under founder and CEO Masayoshi Son, with a particular focus on artificial intelligence and related infrastructure. Reporting by Akash Sriram in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D'Silva Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab

Softbank has fully funded $40 billion investment in OpenAI, sources tell CNBC

Softbank has completed its $40 billion investment commitment to OpenAI, sources told CNBC's David Faber. The Japanese investment giant sent over a final $22 billion to $22.5 billion investment last week, according to the sourced familiar with the matter. Softbank had previously had syndicated $10 billion and invested $8 billion in the ChatGPT maker. CNBC reported in February that the company was finalizing a $40 billion investment in the Sam Altman-run startup at a $260 billion pre-money valuation. At the time, sources told Faber that the funding would be paid out over a 12 to 24 month period. Some of the money was slated to support OpenAI's artificial intelligence infrastructure Stargate joint venture with Oracle and Softbank.

SoftBank lifts OpenAI stake to 11% with $41bln investment

Tokyo (AFP) - Japanese tech investor SoftBank said Wednesday that its stake in OpenAI is now around 11 percent after completing the second stage of a $41-billion investment in the maker of ChatGPT. Having made colossal profits as well as losses on previous investments, flamboyant founder Masayoshi Son has pivoted SoftBank towards artificial intelligence (AI). SoftBank had announced in April its planned investment of up to $40 billion in Open AI, and on Wednesday it said that the second tranche of $22.5 billion was completed. The final investment reached $41 billion and includes $30 billion from SoftBank's Vision Fund plus $11 billion from other third-party co-investors, it said. "We are deeply aligned with OpenAI's vision of ensuring AGI benefits all of humanity," Son, 68, said in a statement. AGI refers to artificial general intelligence, the mooted next stage of AI when computers could outperform humans in different tasks. "SoftBank saw the potential of AI early and committed with a deep belief in its impact on humanity," said OpenAI chief Sam Altman. "Their global leadership and scale help us move faster and bring advanced intelligence to the world," Altman said in the joint statement. SoftBank and OpenAI, with Oracle, are also leading the $500-billion Stargate project to build AI infrastructure in the United States announced by President Donald Trump in January 2025. SoftBank also announced this week that it is buying US data centre investor DigitalBridge in a deal worth around $4 billion.

SoftBank reportedly finalizes OpenAI investment with $22.5B cash infusion - SiliconANGLE

SoftBank reportedly finalizes OpenAI investment with $22.5B cash infusion SoftBank Group Corp. has reportedly completed the $40 billion investment in OpenAI Group PBC that it announced in March. Sources told CNBC today that the Japanese conglomerate finalized the deal last week. It did so by transferring $22.5 billion to OpenAI, which raised the remaining $17.5 million in two earlier tranches. SoftBank disbursed $7.5 billion to the company last month, while the rest was provided by an investor consortium in April. OpenAI will use some of the funds to finance its Starlink data center initiative. The project, which the company launched at the start of the year, aims to deploy 10 gigawatts of computing capacity in the U.S. by 2029. The effort is supported by Oracle Corp. and SB Energy, a SoftBank unit that develops renewable energy installations. SoftBank's newly completed $22.5 billion cash infusion was contingent on a major update to OpenAI's organizational structure. Until a few months ago, the ChatGPT developer operated as a nonprofit with a for-profit arm. The organizational overhaul turned the for-profit arm into a standalone public benefit corporation. SoftBank reportedly sold some of the other assets in its investment portfolio to finance the funding round. The company offloaded a $5.8 billion stake in Nvidia Corp. and $4.8 billion worth of T-Mobile US Inc. stock. Additionally, it took out a $11.5 billion loan against its Arm Holdings plc shares. Nikkei Asia reported that SoftBank now has an approximately 11% stake in OpenAI. That makes it the AI provider's second largest investor behind Microsoft Corp., which owns 27.5% of the company. The tech giant had an even larger 32% stake before the recent update to OpenAI's organizational structure. SoftBank could potentially realize a significant return on its investment. When the company signed off on OpenAI's $40 billion funding round in March, the AI provider was valued at $300 billion. A recent $6.6 billion secondary sale boosted that number to $500 billion. Earlier this month, the Wall Street Journal reported that OpenAI is negotiating a new funding round at an even higher valuation. Sources told Reuters that the ChatGPT developer may follow up the raise with an initial public offering. The listing, which could reportedly take place in 2027, may give SoftBank an opportunity to sell some of its shares at a significant premium. OpenAI is expected to sell at least $60 billion worth of stock at an up to $1 trillion valuation. SoftBank's artificial intelligence strategy also extends to other parts of the market. On Monday, it inked a $4.04 billion deal to acquire DigitalBridge Group Inc., a private equity firm active in the technology sector. One of its portfolio companies, Vantage Data Centers Management Company LLC, is helping OpenAI build a Stargate data center campus in Wisconsin.

SoftBank has fully funded its $40 billion investment in OpenAI: Report - The Economic Times

SoftBank Group has ⁠completed its $40 billion investment in OpenAI, CNBC reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter. The Japanese conglomerate and the ChatGPT maker did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment. In early 2025, SoftBank agreed to lead a funding round of up to $40 billion in OpenAI, in a deal that would make it one of the biggest private tech investments ever. SoftBank has been building one of the largest private technology investment ⁠programs ⁠in the world under founder and CEO Masayoshi Son, with a particular focus on artificial intelligence and related infrastructure.

SoftBank lifts OpenAI stake to 11% with $41 billion investment

Japanese tech investor SoftBank said Wednesday that its stake in OpenAI is now around 11% after completing the second stage of a $41-billion investment in the maker of ChatGPT. Having made colossal profits as well as losses on previous investments, flamboyant founder Masayoshi Son has pivoted SoftBank toward artificial intelligence. SoftBank had announced in April its planned investment of up to $40 billion in Open AI, and on Wednesday it said that the second tranche of $22.5 billion was completed. The final investment reached $41 billion and includes $30 billion from SoftBank's Vision Fund plus $11 billion from other third-party co-investors, it said. "We are deeply aligned with OpenAI's vision of ensuring AGI benefits all of humanity," Son, 68, said in a statement. AGI refers to artificial general intelligence, the mooted next stage of AI when computers could outperform humans in different tasks. "SoftBank saw the potential of AI early and committed with a deep belief in its impact on humanity," said OpenAI chief Sam Altman. "Their global leadership and scale help us move faster and bring advanced intelligence to the world," Altman said in the joint statement. SoftBank and OpenAI, with Oracle, are also leading the $500-billion Stargate project to build AI infrastructure in the United States announced by President Donald Trump in January 2025. SoftBank also announced this week that it is buying U.S. data center investor DigitalBridge in a deal worth around $4 billion.

SoftBank Completes $40 Billion OpenAI Investment - SoftBank Group (OTC:SFTBF), SoftBank Group (OTC:SFTBY)

SoftBank Group Corp. (OTC:SFTBY) (OTC:SFTBF) finalized its ambitious investment in OpenAI after months of aggressive maneuvering. The Japanese conglomerate fulfilled its $40 billion investment commitment to OpenAI. Sources close to the deal confirmed to CNBC's David Faber on Tuesday that the Japanese investment powerhouse transferred the final tranche of approximately $22 billion to $22.5 billion last week. Also Read: SoftBank Buys DigitalBridge In $4 Billion AI Infrastructure Play SoftBank earlier made an investment of $8 billion and the organization of a $10 billion syndicate for the ChatGPT parent. SoftBank now holds a stake exceeding 10% in OpenAI. The company finalized the deal at a pre-money valuation of $260 billion. OpenAI plans to direct a significant portion of this capital toward "Stargate," an artificial intelligence infrastructure joint venture with SoftBank and Oracle Inc. (NYSE:ORCL). Asset Sales Fuel AI Ambitions To finance this aggressive entry into the AI sector, SoftBank has undertaken a sweeping liquidity strategy. Prior reports indicated SoftBank scrambling to raise about $22.5 billion for OpenAI by the end of the year, selling assets, tightening investment activity, and weighing new borrowing as the cost of competing in artificial intelligence surges. The company has already sold its entire Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ:NVDA) stake and unloaded billions of dollars' worth of T-Mobile US, Inc. (NASDAQ:TMUS) shares, while sharply slowing new Vision Fund deals and requiring CEO Masayoshi Son's approval for large investments. SoftBank is also exploring additional asset sales, preparing a potential PayPay IPO, and considering margin loans backed by its soaring Arm Holdings Plc (NASDAQ:ARM) stake. Read Next: Microsoft Builds Massive AI 'Super Factory' In Atlanta To Power OpenAI And Elon Musk's xAI Image via Shutterstock SFTBFSoftBank Group Corp$30.004.38%OverviewSFTBYSoftBank Group Corp$56.85-0.89%ARMARM Holdings PLC$111.140.57%NVDANVIDIA Corp$187.64-0.31%ORCLOracle Corp$196.930.79%TMUST-Mobile US Inc$203.280.06%Market News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs

SoftBank Makes Good on $40 Billion OpenAI Investment | PYMNTS.com

By completing this form, you agree to receive marketing communications from PYMNTS and to the sharing of your information with our sponsor, if applicable, in accordance with our Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions. The Japanese investment firm last week gave the artificial intelligence startup a final payment of $22 billion to $22.5 billion, the report said. SoftBank had previously syndicated $10 billion and invested $8 billion in OpenAI. This finalized investment gives SoftBank a more than 10% stake in the company. CNBC previously reported that SoftBank was finalizing a $40 billion investment in OpenAI at a $260 billion pre-money valuation, adding that this funding would help support OpenAI's AI infrastructure Stargate joint venture with Oracle and SoftBank. Also this month, OpenAI received a $1 billion investment from The Walt Disney Company, while also signing a groundbreaking three-year licensing agreement that will let its Sora video model generate brief, fan-created clips using more than 200 Disney-owned characters, settings and worlds. As PYMNTS reported Dec. 11, soon after the Disney deal was announced, the agreement illustrates that a studio can develop a structured licensing model that uses AI and while also protecting creative rights. Disney can still control the scope of generated content, remove creations that violate standards and update the rules as the technology evolves. "The company also gains early access to AI models that may support future production methods, including rapid previsualization, localization and internal creative assistance," the Dec. 11 report said. "OpenAI gains access to one of the most globally recognized character libraries. The company said it will adapt Sora to operate within legal and creative limits and work with Disney on enforcement systems that stay aligned with the agreement."

SoftBank has completed its $40 billion investment in OpenAI, source says - The Korea Times

SoftBank Group has completed its $40 billion investment in OpenAI, a source familiar with the matter said on Tuesday, marking one of the largest private funding rounds ever and deepening founder Masayoshi Son's bet on AI. SoftBank has been building one of the largest private technology investment programs in the world, with a particular focus on artificial intelligence and related infrastructure such as data centers. AI has become the central axis of global technology markets this year, driving a surge of investment by the world's largest companies and reshaping investor expectations. The Japanese conglomerate and the ChatGPT maker did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment. In March, SoftBank agreed to invest up to $40 billion into a for-profit subsidiary of OpenAI, with the funding structured as a combination of direct capital and syndicated co-investment from other backers. The deal valued OpenAI at around $300 billion on a post-money basis, but a later secondary stock sale completed in October, valued the company at around $500 billion, according to Pitchbook data. SoftBank Group sent over the final $22 billion to $22.5 billion investment after it had syndicated $10 billion and invested $8 billion in OpenAI, the source said. CNBC first reported the news earlier in the day. OpenAI has emerged as a central pillar of that industry-wide AI spending push. The ChatGPT maker along with Oracle and other stakeholders has planned a project dubbed "Stargate", a vast, multi-year data-center initiative aimed at supporting next-generation AI models, with ⁠backing from major investors including SoftBank.

SoftBank Invests $41B in OpenAI, Secures 11% Stake in the AI Company

SoftBank Seals a Historic $41B OpenAI Investment, A Bold AI Bet by Masayoshi Son May Reshape Future Tech Markets SoftBank has sealed a massive $41 billion deal with OpenAI, marking a major moment in the global artificial intelligence race. The investment gives SoftBank an 11% stake in the ChatGPT maker. This deal also ranks among the largest private funding rounds ever seen in the technology sector. The Japanese group announced that the final part of the investment would close in December 2025. This move ends months of planning and phased funding. SoftBank first invested $7.5 billion in April through SoftBank Vision Fund 2. It later added another $22.5 billion in the second phase. Along with $11 billion from other co-investors, the total funding reached $41 billion.

SoftBank completes $40B investment in OpenAI: report

SoftBank Group has completed its $40 billion investment in OpenAI, CNBC reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter, marking one of the largest private funding rounds ever and deepening founder Masayoshi Son's bet on AI. SoftBank has been building one of the largest private technology investment programs in the world, with a particular focus on artificial intelligence and related infrastructure such as data centers. AI has become the central axis of global technology markets this year, driving a surge of investment by the world's largest companies and reshaping investor expectations. The Japanese conglomerate and the ChatGPT maker did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment. In March, SoftBank agreed to invest up to $40 billion into a for-profit subsidiary of OpenAI, with the funding structured as a combination of direct capital and syndicated co-investment from other backers. The deal valued OpenAI at around $300 billion on a post-money basis, but a later secondary stock sale completed in October, valued the company at around $500 billion, according to Pitchbook data. SoftBank Group sent over the final $22 billion to $22.5 billion investment last week after it had syndicated $10 billion and invested $8 billion in OpenAI, the report said. OpenAI has emerged as a central pillar of that industry-wide AI spending push. The ChatGPT maker along with Oracle and other stakeholders has planned a project dubbed "Stargate," a vast, multiyear data-center initiative aimed at supporting next-generation AI models, with backing from major investors including SoftBank.

SoftBank has completed its $40 billion investment in OpenAI, CNBC reports

Dec 30 (Reuters) - SoftBank Group has completed its $40 billion investment in OpenAI, CNBC reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter. The Japanese conglomerate and the ChatGPT maker did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment. In early 2025, SoftBank agreed to lead a funding round of up to $40 billion in OpenAI, in a deal that would make it one of the biggest private tech investments ever. SoftBank has been building one of the largest private technology investment programs in the world under founder and CEO Masayoshi Son, with a particular focus on artificial intelligence and related infrastructure. (Reporting by Akash Sriram in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D'Silva)