SoftBank Races to Fulfill $22.5 Billion Funding Commitment to OpenAI

Japanese tech giant SoftBank is taking emergency measures to fulfill its commitment to invest a colossal $22.5 billion in OpenAI. According to Reuters sources, the conglomerate led by Masayoshi Son is actively liquidating assets and securing short-term loans to transfer the funds before the end of 2025. This amount is part of a broader funding round aimed at building global AI infrastructure, including a network of data centers and power facilities.

For SoftBank, this deal is a strategic "all-in" move. After several past setbacks, Son aims to secure his place as a key player in the AI era by betting on the market leader. The capital injection will allow OpenAI to significantly accelerate hardware procurement (including from Nvidia and Amazon) and scale the development of AGI-level models. Analysts warn that such haste may temporarily weaken SoftBank's own balance sheet, but the potential return from OpenAI's dominance justifies the risks.

Source: Reuters