SoftBank’s $4 Billion DigitalBridge Buyout Signals All-In Bet on AI Future

SoftBank Group is moving forward with a $4 billion acquisition of DigitalBridge Group, a deal that firmly establishes the Japanese investment powerhouse’s intention to dominate the artificial intelligence infrastructure landscape. The announcement comes as SoftBank accelerates its transformation into an AI-centric investment firm under the leadership of founder Masayoshi Son.
This acquisition expands SoftBank’s already growing presence in digital infrastructure, the physical and network foundation upon which AI technologies depend. Son has been vocal about his belief that artificial intelligence represents a once-in-a-generation technological shift, and he’s positioning SoftBank to capture the enormous value being created by skyrocketing demand for AI computing capacity. The DigitalBridge purchase provides immediate scale and expertise in this critical sector.
DigitalBridge has built a comprehensive portfolio focused on essential digital infrastructure components including datacenter facilities, telecommunications towers, fiber optic cable networks, small-cell wireless systems, and edge computing platforms. Among its notable investments are Vantage Data Centers, Zayo, Switch, and AtlasEdge. The company’s history traces back to 1991 when it operated as Colony Capital in traditional real estate, but under Marc Ganzi’s leadership, it completely transformed its business model, focusing exclusively on digital infrastructure and adopting the DigitalBridge name in 2021.
Marc Ganzi will continue serving as CEO of DigitalBridge following the acquisition, with the platform operating as a separate entity within SoftBank’s organizational structure. The scale of what SoftBank is acquiring is considerable: DigitalBridge managed roughly $108 billion in assets as of late September, ranking it among the largest investment firms dedicated specifically to digital infrastructure. This asset base provides SoftBank with immediate influence across the digital ecosystem.
Beyond DigitalBridge, SoftBank has committed substantial resources to other AI infrastructure initiatives. The company is a founding partner in the Stargate project alongside OpenAI, Oracle, and MGX, an Abu Dhabi technology investment firm. Stargate represents a multi-billion-dollar commitment to building massive computing infrastructure tailored for advanced AI development. Current plans call for constructing five computing centers in Texas, New Mexico, and Ohio, designed to deliver approximately 7 gigawatts of combined power capacity.