By Dylan Butts
Publication Date: 2025-12-02 09:38:00
Masayoshi Son, chairman and chief executive officer of SoftBank Group Corp., speaks at the SoftBank World event in Tokyo, Japan, on Wednesday, July 16, 2025. Speaking via teleconference, Son and OpenAI chief Sam Altman argued that advancing artificial intelligence would lead to new jobs that are not yet imagined, and the advancement of robotics will help kickstart a “self-improvement” loop. Photographer: Kiyoshi Ota/Bloomberg via Getty Images
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SoftBank Group founder Masayoshi Son on Monday downplayed the decision to offload the conglomerate’s entire Nvidia stake, saying he “was crying” over parting with the shares.
Speaking at a forum in Tokyo Monday, Son addressed SoftBank’s November disclosure that the firm had sold its holding in the American chip darling for $5.83 billion.
According to Son, SoftBank wouldn’t have made the move if it didn’t need to bankroll its next artificial intelligence investments, including a big bet on OpenAI and data center projects.
“I don’t want to sell a single share. I just had more need for money to invest in OpenAI and other projects, Son said during the FII Priority Asia forum. “I was crying to sell Nvidia shares.”
Son’s comments are consistent with what analysts and other Softbank executives said in November, describing the sale as part of broader efforts to bolster SoftBank Vision Fund’s AI war chest.
SoftBank has doubled down on its AI plans this year with a series of projects, including work on
