SoftBank Group is fortifying its position in artificial intelligence infrastructure through a $4 billion takeover of DigitalBridge Group, the companies jointly confirmed. The deal represents billionaire Masayoshi Son’s strategy to build an impregnable position in the infrastructure supporting AI development.
This takeover provides SoftBank with substantially strengthened exposure to digital infrastructure, which forms the essential foundation for AI technology deployment. Son has been orchestrating a comprehensive transformation of SoftBank’s investment focus toward artificial intelligence, characterizing it as the defining technological shift of this era. The massive increase in demand for computing capacity to support AI applications has created significant opportunities in infrastructure, which DigitalBridge’s portfolio addresses.
DigitalBridge invests across essential digital infrastructure sectors including datacenters, cell tower networks, fiber systems, small-cell infrastructure, and edge computing facilities. The portfolio features prominent companies such as Vantage Data Centers, Zayo, Switch, and AtlasEdge. Beginning as Colony Capital in 1991 as a traditional real estate investor, the company underwent a complete strategic transformation led by CEO Marc Ganzi, exiting legacy property investments and adopting the DigitalBridge name in 2021.
Following the takeover, Ganzi will remain at the helm as CEO, with DigitalBridge functioning as a separately managed platform within SoftBank’s fortified infrastructure position. The scale is noteworthy: DigitalBridge managed roughly $108 billion in assets as of the end of September, establishing it as among the largest dedicated investors in digital infrastructure globally. This substantially strengthens SoftBank’s market position.
SoftBank’s commitment to fortifying its AI infrastructure presence includes other major initiatives. The company is a key participant in the Stargate project, collaborating with OpenAI, Oracle, and MGX, a technology investor based in Abu Dhabi. This ambitious effort involves billions of dollars in investments to build large-scale computing infrastructure purpose-built for advanced AI development. The project roadmap includes five computing sites in Texas, New Mexico, and Ohio with approximately 7 gigawatts of combined power capacity.