SoftBank Sells Entire Nvidia Stake Ahead of AI Investment Push

SoftBank has pocketed $5.8 billion after cashing in its entire stake in Nvidia. The sale helps bolster founder Masayoshi Son’s war chest as he seeks to build his own sphere of influence supporting artificial intelligence. His ambition has fueled initiatives including the Stargate data center rollout and a planned $30 billion investment in OpenAI. Son is also courting TSMC and others about taking part in a $1 trillion AI manufacturing hub in Arizona. SoftBank even explored a takeover of US chipmaker Marvell Technology earlier this year.

Son’s company now boasts a portfolio that includes some of the world’s most sought-after names in AI: OpenAI and Oracle. Those stakes boosted SoftBank’s paper gains and helped drive a 78% surge in its share price over the three months ending in September — its best such performance since the December quarter of 2005.