SoftBank Group is considering raising as much as $100 billion from Gulf investors to bolster its bets on artificial intelligence, according to a Financial Times report cited by Bloomberg and published by The Japan Times. The talks are at an early stage, and the Japanese company has not confirmed the deal: a SoftBank spokesperson declined to comment.
The group’s founder and chief executive, Masayoshi Son, has reportedly held preliminary discussions with potential investors, including entities from the United Arab Emirates. The proposal calls for the creation of a fund to acquire companies and improve their operations through artificial intelligence and machinery, including technology from Roze, SoftBank’s robotics division.
The potential fundraising would expand the technology conglomerate’s investment capacity, after it has already committed about $65 billion to OpenAI, according to the published report. However, the initiative comes as SoftBank faces higher financing costs and as the IPO of ChatGPT’s creator has been delayed.
SoftBank has prior experience raising capital in the Middle East. In 2017, it secured commitments of nearly $100 billion for its first Vision Fund, with significant participation from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and Abu Dhabi-based Mubadala. The vehicle’s track record has been mixed, with successful investments such as ByteDance and failed ones including WeWork.
In 2025, the group announced a $500 billion data-center project in the United States alongside OpenAI, Oracle, and Abu Dhabi firm MGX. That figure represents an investment announcement rather than capital already deployed: based on available information, the initiative has yet to make material progress. SoftBank shares fell as much as 7.3% in Tokyo on Friday, pressured by concerns over the pace of growth in OpenAI’s revenue.
