Nvidia Eyes Perplexity Investment at $30 Billion Valuation 
OpenAI Data Center Chief Chris Malone Exits Ahead of Planned 2027 Listing 
PayPal Shares Sink as $50 Billion Takeover Bid Collapses 
Samsung Shares Tumble 8% as $79 Billion Return Plan Disappoints 
HP Stock Drops 9% Despite Q3 Earnings Beat and Raised 2026 Outlook 
U.S. Probes Apex Logistics Over Nvidia AI Chip Shipments to China 
Trump Administration Plans New Drug Pricing Deals With Biotech Firms 
SoftBank Eyes $20 Billion Bond Sale to Refinance OpenAI Loan 
Jefferies Names AMEC Top China Semiconductor Equipment Pick 
Mercer International Stock Surges 45% on C$20 Million Canada Funding 
Google Expands Gemini Enterprise With AI Tools for Legal Sector 
Meta Agrees to $18 Billion Settlement, Tightens Teen Social Media Rules 
Itochu Offers $1.56 Billion to Privatize Dentsu Soken 
SK Biopharmaceuticals Secures Global Rights to Biohaven Epilepsy Drug Opakalim 
BofA Names ASML Top Semiconductor Equipment Pick on Growth, Valuation 
Add as a preferred source on Google
SoftBank Group Corp (TYO:9984) shares jumped sharply in early Tokyo trading after reports emerged that the Japanese conglomerate is in discussions to invest as much as $30 billion more in OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT. According to a report by the Wall Street Journal, SoftBank’s potential additional investment underscores growing global investor confidence in artificial intelligence and OpenAI’s long-term growth prospects.
The discussions are still ongoing, and the final terms of the deal could change, the report noted, citing people familiar with the matter. News of the talks was enough to excite investors, with Tokyo-listed SoftBank shares climbing more than 8% to 4,408 yen as of 01:38 GMT, marking one of the stock’s strongest intraday moves in recent months.
OpenAI is reportedly seeking to raise up to $100 billion in new funding, a massive capital raise that could value the company at as much as $830 billion if successful. Such a valuation would place OpenAI among the most valuable private companies in the world, highlighting the explosive interest in generative AI, large language models, and artificial intelligence infrastructure.
SoftBank is already one of OpenAI’s largest shareholders. Its stake reportedly increased to around 11% in December following a $22.5 billion investment, further cementing its strategic position in the fast-growing AI sector. Founder Masayoshi Son has repeatedly emphasized that artificial intelligence is central to SoftBank’s long-term vision, making OpenAI a cornerstone asset in its technology portfolio.
In addition to discussions with SoftBank, OpenAI is also said to be exploring a potential initial public offering in the future. The company is reportedly courting Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds as well as global venture capital investors as it looks to secure diversified funding sources to support expansion, research, and infrastructure development.
If finalized, SoftBank’s additional investment could further accelerate OpenAI’s growth while reinforcing SoftBank’s role as a major global backer of cutting-edge AI innovation.
