SoftBank Group is discussing a plan to hand another $30 billion to OpenAI. This massive new investment would be part of a larger funding round that aims to raise a total of $100 billion for the ChatGPT creator. If the deal goes through, it would push OpenAI’s total value to a staggering $830 billion.
SoftBank’s leader, Masayoshi Son, is clearly betting the entire house on artificial intelligence. He wants his company to be the main power behind the AI revolution. Just last December, SoftBank finished a $41 billion investment into OpenAI, which bought them an 11% stake in the business. Now, it seems Son is ready to double down to ensure his company stays at the front of the pack.
OpenAI needs this cash infusion to keep up with its own growth. Training advanced AI models and keeping them running costs a fortune. Every day, the company spends millions of dollars on the computing power required to stay ahead of rivals like Google. Son has been working tirelessly to find the money for these deals. In fact, reports suggest he has slowed down almost all other investments at SoftBank just to focus his resources on OpenAI.
This partnership reaches beyond just software. Both companies are also major players in a project called “Stargate.” This is a $500 billion initiative designed to build massive AI data centers across the United States. These giant facilities will provide the raw brainpower needed for future AI systems. Many experts and government officials see this project as a critical way for the U.S. to maintain its technological lead over China.
Investors reacted positively to the news, sending SoftBank’s stock up 3.5% in Tokyo on Tuesday morning. While SoftBank has declined to officially comment on the discussions, the move shows that Son is determined to make OpenAI the center of the modern technological world, no matter how much it costs.
