SoftBank’s Masayoshi Son regains prominence after AI investment spree

SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son has committed approximately $87 billion to build AI data centers in France, marking a resurgence after his WeWork losses. Son also chairs the $500 billion Stargate AI infrastructure project in the US and holds a roughly 13% stake in OpenAI. SoftBank shares have surged nearly 80% in 2026, briefly surpassing Toyota as Japan’s most valuable company.

SoftBank’s Masayoshi Son regains prominence after AI investment spree The billionaire who lost big on WeWork is now betting nearly $90 billion on AI data centers in France and chairing a $500 billion US infrastructure project. Masayoshi Son is that billionaire, and his latest bet makes his previous ones look like pocket change. SoftBank’s founder has committed a staggering €75 billion, roughly $87 billion, to build AI data centers across France. The plan calls for 3.1 gigawatts of capacity by 2031, with potential expansion to 5 GW. From WeWork wreckage to AI empire SoftBank shares have soared nearly 80% in 2026, at one point briefly surpassing Toyota as Japan’s most valuable company. The France announcement alone sent SoftBank shares up 14% over June 1-2. Year-to-date gains sit somewhere between 73% and 80%, depending on when you check. Son has described the AI landscape as “50x bigger than dot-com.” The OpenAI connection and Stargate SoftBank has cumulatively invested over $60 billion into OpenAI, accumulating an approximately 13% stake in the company behind ChatGPT. Son has been appointed chairman of the Stargate project, a US-based initiative to build AI infrastructure with a budget of up to $500 billion. The project involves collaboration with OpenAI, Oracle, and other major firms. What this means for investors Son has addressed this directly, suggesting that any market corrections in AI would represent prime investment opportunities rather than reasons to panic. SoftBank’s bet is that whoever builds the most capacity fastest wins. The France deal alone positions SoftBank as a dominant force in European AI infrastructure, a market where American hyperscalers like Amazon, Microsoft, and Google are also spending aggressively but face more regulatory friction. Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy https://cryptobriefing.com/editorial-policy/ .