Key Points
- SoftBank is in talks to acquire the U.S. asset manager DigitalBridge. DigitalBridge stock jumped 40% in pre-market trading on the news.
- The deal would give SoftBank control over data centers and fiber networks.
- The move is part of Masayoshi Son’s strategy to focus on AI infrastructure.
- SoftBank is also investing in the “Stargate” project with OpenAI and Oracle.
SoftBank is reportedly on the verge of buying the U.S. asset manager DigitalBridge. According to Bloomberg reports, the two companies could announce the deal as early as Monday. This news sent DigitalBridge’s stock price soaring by about 40% in pre-market trading, adding to a 45% jump from earlier in the month when the talks were first rumored.
Masayoshi Son, the billionaire founder of SoftBank, is making a massive bet on the future of artificial intelligence. He believes that the demand for data centers and other digital infrastructure is about to explode, and he wants to be at the center of that boom.
DigitalBridge is a perfect target for this strategy. The company is a giant in the digital world, managing over $108 billion in assets. They own or invest in data centers, cell towers, and fiber-optic networks that connect everything.
By acquiring DigitalBridge, SoftBank gains a substantial portfolio of essential infrastructure. This includes well-known companies like Vantage Data Centers and Zayo. This move fits perfectly with Son’s recent focus on AI. He has been selling off other assets to invest more in companies and projects that will power the next generation of technology.
This potential acquisition is just one piece of a much larger plan. SoftBank is already working with OpenAI and Oracle on a massive project called Stargate. This initiative aims to build a huge network of computing sites across the United States.
In September, the companies announced they would build five new sites in Texas, New Mexico, and Ohio. These facilities are expected to use about seven gigawatts of power, a substantial amount of energy that underscores how large the AI boom has become.
While neither company has officially commented on the deal, the stock market is clearly expecting a major announcement soon. If the deal goes through, it will cement SoftBank’s position as a key player in the AI revolution’s physical backbone.
