SoftBank Considers Adding $30 Billion to Investment in OpenAI

SoftBank Group is in talks to invest another $30 billion in OpenAI, The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday (Jan. 28), citing unnamed sources.

This investment would be in addition to the $22.5 billion investment SoftBank made in OpenAI in December 2025, which increased its stake in the artificial intelligence (AI) startup to 11%, according to the report.

SoftBank’s investment would be part of a funding round in which OpenAI aims to raise $100 billion at a valuation of as much as $830 billion, the report said.

The talks are ongoing, and the terms could change, per the report.

Neither SoftBank Group nor OpenAI immediately replied to PYMNTS’ request for comment.

SoftBank’s $22.5 billion investment in OpenAI in December marked the second closing of the investment of up to $40 billion to which the company committed in March 2025, it said in a December press release. Together with a previous investment and participation from other third-party co-investors, it fully funded SoftBank’s commitment, according to the release.

“We are deeply aligned with OpenAI’s vision of ensuring AGI [artificial general intelligence] benefits all of humanity,” SoftBank Group Chairman and CEO Masayoshi Son said in the release.

It was reported in October 2025 that OpenAI achieved a valuation of $500 billion that month when it allowed current and former employees to sell roughly $6.6 billion in shares. That made OpenAI the world’s most valuable startup.

Before that, OpenAI was valued at $300 billion in March 2025 after its $40 billion deal with SoftBank.

It was reported Thursday (Jan. 22) that OpenAI CEO Sam Altman was meeting with investors in the Middle East in hopes of gaining their participation in a funding round.

PYMNTS reported at the time that the as-yet-unprofitable company has committed to spending over $1.4 trillion in AI infrastructure in the years ahead.

It was reported Tuesday (Jan. 27) that AI startup Anthropic is close to finalizing a fundraising deal in which it will raise $20 billion and be valued at $350 billion.

Anthropic has doubled the amount it is in talks to raise after seeing a high level of demand from investors.

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