SoftBank Captures Major AI Infrastructure Asset with $4B DigitalBridge Deal

SoftBank Group is capturing a major artificial intelligence infrastructure asset through a $4 billion deal to acquire DigitalBridge Group, both companies announced. The transaction represents billionaire Masayoshi Son’s ongoing effort to build a dominant portfolio of infrastructure assets supporting AI development.
Through this acquisition, SoftBank obtains significantly broadened exposure to digital infrastructure, which supplies the critical capabilities necessary for AI applications to function at scale. Son has been reshaping SoftBank’s investment focus around artificial intelligence, recognizing the unprecedented value creation opportunity created by the technology. The extraordinary increase in demand for computing resources to power AI systems has made infrastructure sectors increasingly attractive, which DigitalBridge’s portfolio addresses.
DigitalBridge specializes in investing across digital infrastructure categories including datacenter properties, telecommunications towers, fiber optic networks, small-cell wireless systems, and edge computing facilities. The portfolio includes prominent businesses like Vantage Data Centers, Zayo, Switch, and AtlasEdge. Originally established as Colony Capital in 1991 with a traditional real estate focus, the company transformed completely under CEO Marc Ganzi’s leadership, divesting legacy property assets and rebranding as DigitalBridge in 2021.
Marc Ganzi will remain at the helm as CEO following the transaction, with DigitalBridge functioning as a separately managed platform within SoftBank. The scale of what SoftBank is acquiring is substantial: DigitalBridge had around $108 billion in assets under management as of September 30, making it one of the world’s largest dedicated investors in digital infrastructure. This established platform gives SoftBank immediate scale and specialized knowledge.
SoftBank’s AI infrastructure strategy encompasses additional major commitments. The company is a founding partner in the Stargate project, working with OpenAI, Oracle, and MGX, an investment firm headquartered in Abu Dhabi. Stargate represents a multi-billion-dollar investment in large-scale computing infrastructure optimized for advanced AI development. The announced roadmap includes five computing sites in Texas, New Mexico, and Ohio with approximately 7 gigawatts of combined power capacity.