From Startup Fortune · · 1m 10s
Masayoshi Son Pushes $100 Billion Gulf Fund for AI
SoftBank's Masayoshi Son seeks $100 billion from Gulf investors to rebuild companies with AI, not just fund OpenAI.
In brief
SoftBank's Masayoshi Son seeks $100 billion from Gulf investors to rebuild companies with AI, not just fund OpenAI. SoftBank's chairman wants $100 billion from Gulf investors to buy and automate companies with AI, after investing $64.6 billion in OpenAI. Originally reported by Startup Fortune.
SoftBank's AI Push
Masayoshi Son wants up to $100 billion from Gulf investors for a new fund.
Target of Fund
The fund buys existing companies and rewrites operations with AI and robotics.
OpenAI Investment
SoftBank has spent $64.6 billion on OpenAI since October 2025.
OpenAI Valuation
OpenAI's valuation rose from $500 billion to $852 billion in one year.
Funding Challenges
SoftBank used $40 billion bridge facility, $10 billion margin loan, and $11.1 billion bond sale to fund OpenAI.
Credit Default Swaps
SoftBank's credit default swaps hit a three-year high of 384.6 basis points.
Son's Stance
Son calls AI spending 'blasphemy' and predicts $5 trillion annual global AI spending by 2040.
Gulf Lenders
Twenty-one banks joined SoftBank's $40 billion OpenAI bridge loan.
The big picture
SoftBank's chairman wants $100 billion from Gulf investors to buy and automate companies with AI, after investing $64.6 billion in OpenAI.
