SoftBank's $100 Billion Investment Plan in the U.S.

SoftBank's CEO, Masayoshi Son, has announced an ambitious plan to invest $100 billion in the United States over the next four years. This investment is expected to create at least 100,000 jobs.

Son shared this commitment while standing next to president-elect Donald Trump, who characterized the pledge as an "historical investment" and a significant display of trust in America's future. Trump stated that this funding will contribute to the development of industries crucial for the future, including artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies.

This is not the first time Son has committed to investing in the U.S. During Trump's first term, he had already pledged $50 billion. Now, as Trump begins his second term, Son has chosen to double down on his investment plans.

During their meeting, Trump jokingly suggested that SoftBank might increase its latest investment to $200 billion. Son responded positively, expressing that he would "try to make it happen." However, he did not provide detailed plans regarding the specifics of the investment.

The mention of artificial intelligence by Trump hints at SoftBank's intentions, as the company is actively looking to leverage the ongoing AI boom. SoftBank has a complex history with technology investments, notably taking British chip designer Arm Holdings private in 2016 before it was listed on the NASDAQ again in early 2023.

Earlier this year at SoftBank World, Son spoke about the approaching technological revolution, predicting that artificial general intelligence might be achieved within the next decade. He believes that Arm will play a significant role in this advancement.

SoftBank is also making moves in the AI sector. In July, it acquired another British chip designer, Graphcore, as part of its effort to create a competitive AI chip powerhouse aimed at rivaling Nvidia. In November, SoftBank announced plans to build Japan's most powerful AI supercomputer using Nvidia's latest Blackwell accelerators and invested $1.5 billion in AI model developer OpenAI.

The electric push for AI has sparked interest in constructing large data centers. In recent years, companies specializing in GPU-based operations, such as CoreWeave and Lambda, have attracted substantial funding to establish facilities with thousands of accelerators, showing promising returns on investment.

It's important to recognize that not all of SoftBank's investments have been successful. For example, the company invested heavily in WeWork, which filed for bankruptcy about a year ago. Therefore, while Son's promise of $100 billion in U.S. investments could open new avenues, their success is not guaranteed.

investment, jobs, AI