SoftBank’s Son Reportedly Eyes $100B From Gulf Investors for AI Expansion

SoftBank Group Chairman and CEO Masayoshi Son is seeking up to $100 billion from Gulf investors for further artificial intelligence investments, the Financial Times reported.

Son had reportedly discussed the potential fundraising with senior figures in the region, including in the United Arab Emirates.

The reported approach follows a substantial increase in SoftBank’s exposure to OpenAI. An October 1 announcement put its cumulative investment in the ChatGPT developer at $64.6 billion, with an ownership interest of approximately 13%. Any new Gulf funding would come alongside an already extensive financial commitment to AI.

SoftBank’s completed investments provide a clearer picture of its existing obligations than of the proposed fundraising. The company has disclosed the amounts, timing, and financing of its latest OpenAI investment. The Gulf discussions remain reported negotiations, with no announced closing or confirmed capital commitment.

SoftBank completed its $30 billion follow-on investment in OpenAI on October 1, delivering the final $10 billion tranche [¥1.5796 trillion] through SoftBank Vision Fund 2.

The investment originated in a definitive agreement announced on February 27. SoftBank scheduled three equal payments of $10 billion for April, July, and October. The agreement followed $34.6 billion that the group had already invested in OpenAI since September 2024.

Financing also changed as the payments progressed. SoftBank said the final installment was funded with proceeds from foreign currency-denominated senior notes. It canceled the remaining $10 billion of unused capacity under its bridge facility, leaving no outstanding borrowing or undrawn commitments under that agreement after earlier repayments.

An earlier September 9 disclosure announced plans to repay the bridge facility’s entire outstanding balance of $25.9 billion on September 15. The disclosures document how SoftBank moved from temporary financing toward other sources of funding for the OpenAI transaction.

Son’s search for capital has a substantial regional precedent. SoftBank’s first major Vision Fund closing in May 2017 secured more than $93 billion in commitments. Its investors included Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala Investment Company, alongside SoftBank and several technology companies.

Mubadala separately confirmed a $15 billion commitment to the fund. Its announcement described an investment vehicle spanning technology businesses at different stages of development, establishing a relationship with SoftBank that predates the current expansion in AI spending.

A more recent connection is Stargate, announced in January 2025. The project named SoftBank, OpenAI, Oracle, and Abu Dhabi-based MGX as its initial equity funders. Its announced plan called for $500 billion of AI infrastructure investment in the United States over four years, beginning with $100 billion.

Regional involvement also reaches beyond SoftBank’s partnerships. In September 2024, BlackRock, Global Infrastructure Partners, Microsoft, and MGX announced an investment partnership focused on new and expanded data centers and the energy infrastructure needed to operate them.

The partnership initially sought $30 billion in private equity capital, with potential investment of up to $100 billion. Its announcement placed most planned infrastructure investment in the United States, with the remainder in U.S. partner countries.

Kuwait Investment Authority subsequently joined the AI Infrastructure Partnership. Its participation added another Gulf sovereign investor to a platform addressing the physical requirements of AI development, including computing facilities and power.

These disclosed initiatives show that Gulf investors already have several routes into the AI sector. Son’s reported fundraising would enter that existing landscape, where investment in software developers sits alongside spending on infrastructure.