SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman appeared together at a Tokyo business event on February 3, 2025, to pitch AI solutions for enterprises.
OpenAI Fuels SoftBank’s Record Vision Fund Gains
SoftBank's Vision Fund reported a yearly gain of $46 billion for the year ended March, driven almost entirely by the soaring value of its investment in OpenAI. The Japanese conglomerate has now invested over $30 billion in the AI lab, with investment gains totaling $45 billion in that period.
In the three months to the end of March, the Vision Fund posted a gain of approximately $20 billion, nearly all attributed to OpenAI. This surge helped offset losses on other investments, including Coupang, DiDi Global, and Klarna.
A Strategic Bet on the AI Boom
SoftBank is positioning itself at the center of the artificial intelligence boom, with a portfolio spanning various AI and chip companies — with OpenAI as the centerpiece.
In February, SoftBank committed to investing over $60 billion in OpenAI for approximately 13% ownership. More than $30 billion of that commitment has already been deployed.
In March, OpenAI closed a funding round co-led by SoftBank, valuing the AI lab at $852 billion. The company now faces intense competition from rivals such as Google and Anthropic.