Softbank news and trends

SoftBank Seeks $10 Billion Loan to Refinance OpenAI Stake

August 28, 2026
SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son Predicts AI Will Dwarf Dot-Com Boom
Artificial Intelligence // June 01, 2026

If the artificial intelligence sector experiences a market correction, it will soon bounce back, SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son said Monday (June 1). Speaking with CNBC, Son said that while there is “always a correction,” history shows that auto and electronics stocks bounced back and enjoyed...

Tether Buys Out SoftBank’s Stake in Joint Crypto Investment Firm
Cryptocurrency // May 20, 2026

Tether has purchased SoftBank’s stake in their shared venture, crypto investment company Twenty One Capital. “This transaction reflects the continued development of XXI as the company builds on its foundation and advances its long-term bitcoin strategy,” the stablecoin issuer said in a Wednesday (May 20)...

OpenAI Helps Drive up Profits for Japanese Backer SoftBank
Earnings // May 13, 2026

Japanese conglomerate SoftBank’s quarterly profits jumped nearly threefold thanks to its stake in OpenAI. The company released earnings Wednesday (May 13) showing its net profit more than tripled to 1.83 trillion yen, or $11.6 billion. SoftBank has invested more than $30 billion in OpenAI and said it had...

SoftBank Planning $100 Billion US Robotics and AI Company
Technology // April 30, 2026

Japanese conglomerate SoftBank reportedly plans to create an American artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics company. That’s according to a report Thursday (April 30) from the Financial Times (FT), which characterizes the venture, known as Roze, as part of SoftBank founder and CEO Masayoshi Son’s push to make his AI...

Interviews & Exclusives
Meet the Titans: Major Players Funding the Future of AI

March 21, 2024
Saudi Arabia aims to carve out a leadership role in the burgeoning artificial intelligence (AI) field with a proposed $40 billion investment fund, as The New York Times reported. The country is one of many global giants in the race to shape the future of AI, including Andreessen Horowitz and Nvidia, with investments in generative […]

SoftBank Puts ‘Pepper’ Robot On Hold As Bot Biz Does Some Soul-Searching

June 29, 2021
In its latest move to redefine the firm’s relationship to robotics, SoftBank announced that it has halted production on its Pepper robot. It is the firm’s second major move away...

Today In Payments: Mastercard To Join China’s $27T Payments Market; Uber, Postmates Lose Bid To...

February 11, 2020
In today’s top payments news, Mastercard was approved for a bank card clearing business in China, and a judge rejected Uber and Postmates’ request to stop California’s new gig economy law....

SoftBank-Backed Brandless Goes Bust

February 11, 2020
For its three years in operation, Brandless generated no shortage of buzz with its concept of “private label for less” and the idea that the best brand is no brand...

Quick Reads
SoftBank Seeks $10 Billion Loan to Refinance OpenAI Stake

August 28, 2026
SoftBank Group is seeking a $10 billion loan to help refinance debt used for its investment in OpenAI, Bloomberg reported Friday (Aug. 28), citing unnamed sources. The proceeds of the loan could help repay a $40 billion bridge loan SoftBank secured for its OpenAI investments, according to the report. SoftBank is also preparing a potential […]

SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son Predicts AI Will Dwarf Dot-Com Boom

June 01, 2026
If the artificial intelligence sector experiences a market correction, it will soon bounce back, SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son said Monday (June 1). Speaking with CNBC, Son said that while there...

Tether Buys Out SoftBank’s Stake in Joint Crypto Investment Firm

May 20, 2026
Tether has purchased SoftBank’s stake in their shared venture, crypto investment company Twenty One Capital. “This transaction reflects the continued development of XXI as the company builds on its foundation...

OpenAI Helps Drive up Profits for Japanese Backer SoftBank

May 13, 2026
Japanese conglomerate SoftBank’s quarterly profits jumped nearly threefold thanks to its stake in OpenAI. The company released earnings Wednesday (May 13) showing its net profit more than tripled to 1.83 trillion yen, or...