Japan’s SoftBank is negotiating a potential investment of $15-25 billion in OpenAI, which would make it the ChatGPT maker’s largest financial backer, according to a report by the Financial Times on Thursday reportedly.
The news follows concerns in the AI sector after Chinese startup DeepSeek introduced a powerful new chatbot at a fraction of the cost of its US counterparts, shaking up market dynamics.
Both SoftBank and OpenAI are key players in Stargate, a US government-backed initiative aimed at investing up to $500 billion in AI infrastructure. According to sources cited by the Financial Times, SoftBank’s proposed investment would be in addition to its existing $15 billion commitment to the Stargate project. Meanwhile, OpenAI has pledged $15 billion to the initiative, and SoftBank’s investment in the AI giant could help cover OpenAI’s contribution.
Read more: ByteDance to Invest $12 Billion in AI Chips by 2025: A Strategic Move Amid Global Tensions
SoftBank has yet to comment on the reports, but its shares were down 1% in Tokyo on Thursday morning.
Founded by Japanese billionaire Masayoshi Son, SoftBank gained early success with investments in Yahoo! and Alibaba in the 1990s but has since experienced mixed results with other ventures. Son, a longtime supporter of former US President Donald Trump, has increasingly shifted his focus toward artificial intelligence, leveraging SoftBank’s stake in chip designer Arm.
Elon Musk has openly criticized the Stargate initiative, alleging on X that its main investors lack the necessary funds. As an early OpenAI backer and a longtime rival of its CEO, Sam Altman, Musk’s claims were swiftly dismissed by Altman as incorrect.
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