Masayoshi Son, the founder of SoftBank, has recently made a monumental commitment of €75 billion, or about $87 billion, to establish AI data centers throughout France. This ambitious initiative plans for a capacity of 3.1 gigawatts by 2031, with the potential to expand to 5 gigawatts.
In the wake of this announcement, SoftBank's stock has skyrocketed nearly 80% in 2026, with shares seeing a notable 14% increase just following the news of the France investment. Year-to-date performance is impressive, showing gains between 73% and 80%, contingent upon market timing. Son views the current AI sector as significantly larger than the dot-com boom, suggesting great potential for growth and investment opportunity.
SoftBank has also invested over $60 billion in OpenAI, acquiring a roughly 13% share in the company best known for ChatGPT. Furthermore, Son has taken on a leadership role in the Stargate project, an extensive U.S.-based venture aimed at developing AI infrastructure, bolstered by a budget that could reach up to $500 billion. This project collaborates with major players like OpenAI and Oracle.
For investors, Son's perspective indicates that any market corrections within the AI field should be viewed as opportunities to invest rather than moments of concern. SoftBank believes that the rapid construction of AI capability will determine future market dominance. The recent deal positions SoftBank effectively in the burgeoning European AI infrastructure market. This sector is competitive, with American giants such as Amazon, Microsoft, and Google also heavily investing but facing significant regulatory challenges.