SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son said he “was crying” as the company sold its entire stake in Nvidia, describing the move as a reluctant but necessary decision to fund its next wave of artificial intelligence investments.
Speaking at the FII Priority Asia Forum in Tokyo on Monday, Son said SoftBank would have preferred to keep the Nvidia shares — but needed the money to expand in AI.
“I didn’t want to sell a single share of Nvidia, but I needed the money to invest in OpenAI and other opportunities,” Son said.
The $5.83 billion sale, disclosed in November, was driven by SoftBank’s effort to strengthen its Vision Fund’s AI portfolio, which includes OpenAI, data center projects, and Ampere Computing. Son said the company remains “all in” on AI, reaffirming his view that OpenAI could eventually become “the most valuable company in the world.”
SoftBank’s profits have already reflected that conviction. Its Q2 net profit doubled to 2.5 trillion yen ($16.6 billion), supported by valuation gains tied to OpenAI’s rising worth.
Despite market worries about an AI bubble, Son dismissed the skepticism. He argued that “superintelligence” will transform the global economy, saying:
“When superintelligence comes, at least 10% of global GDP will be replaced by AI and AI robots.”
The Japanese tech investor said he remains fully committed to expanding SoftBank’s AI empire, even if it means letting go of some of his most prized assets.
