In Tokyo on February 3, SoftBank Group CEO Masayoshi Son announced a collaboration with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman to establish a joint venture in Japan offering artificial intelligence services to businesses.
The joint endeavor, SB OpenAI Japan, will be held by OpenAI as well as a firm formed by SoftBank and its domestic telecoms division. As part of the agreement, the Japanese investment powerhouse will pay $3 billion annually to utilize OpenAI's technology within SoftBank group companies.
Son is expanding his involvement with OpenAI, as SoftBank is planning to invest $15 billion to $25 billion in the company, as per a recent Reuters report. Additionally, SoftBank is earmarking $15 billion for Stargate, a collaboration with OpenAI and Oracle aimed at boosting AI capabilities in the U.S.
The debut of Stargate last month marked Son's second public appearance with Donald Trump since the president's election in November. In light of China's DeepSeek and its AI advancements, investors are scrutinizing the substantial investments made in AI technology.
Altman emphasized, The world is going to just need so much compute.
Son's support for OpenAI signals his resurgence as an influential investor following setbacks due to SoftBank's tech portfolio depreciation and notable missteps. His track record includes successful partnerships with U.S. tech companies, such as introducing the iPhone to Japan in 2008.
On the same day, Son and Altman also held discussions with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.