SoftBank sells Nvidia stake for $5.8 billion to finance OpenAI investment
SoftBank Group Corp. announced that it has divested its holding in chipmaker Nvidia, raising roughly $5.8 billion from the sale. The proceeds are earmarked for a larger strategic bet on generative‑AI developer OpenAI, signaling a shift in the Japanese conglomerate’s investment focus toward AI services rather than hardware.
The Nvidia position, originally built up during the 2020‑2022 AI rally, had become one of SoftBank’s most valuable assets as demand for graphics processing units surged amid the rise of large‑language models. By selling the shares at a premium to the market price, SoftBank secured cash that can be deployed without diluting its balance sheet.
Industry observers note that the move reflects a broader trend among technology investors who are reallocating capital from semiconductor manufacturers to companies that develop AI applications. A senior market analyst commented that “the rebalancing of portfolios toward AI platforms is understandable given the faster revenue cycles and higher margins these services can generate.”
SoftBank’s Vision Fund, which has previously backed OpenAI with a multi‑billion‑dollar commitment, is expected to increase its stake following the cash infusion. The additional funding could support OpenAI’s expansion of cloud infrastructure, research initiatives, and commercial product rollouts. While the exact size of the new investment has not been disclosed, the firm indicated that the capital will help “accelerate the deployment of advanced AI tools across multiple industries.”
Financial analysts anticipate that the transaction may improve SoftBank’s short‑term liquidity while exposing it to the rapid growth of AI-driven services. However, they also caution that the success of the OpenAI investment depends on regulatory developments and competition from other AI firms. Overall, the sale underscores SoftBank’s confidence that the future of artificial intelligence lies more in software and services than in the chips that power them.
