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SoftBank Posts ¥5 T Profit, Vision Fund Gains on OpenAI Stake

5/13/2026

Summary

SoftBank Profits

SoftBank will earn 236 billion yen in the Jan-Mar quarter, aided by its OpenAI investment.
Its 11% OpenAI stake rose to $80 billion after a February round that valued OpenAI at $840 billion.
The Vision Fund posted a $46 billion gain that drove a 5 trillion-yen profit and prompted S&P to turn SoftBank’s outlook negative after a $40 billion bridge loan for OpenAI.

Summary

SoftBank Funds Graphcore

SoftBank injected over $450 million into UK AI-chip maker Graphcore on April 10, valuing the share at $457 million.
Graphcore, which SoftBank bought in 2024, will collaborate with SoftBank on artificial general intelligence.
A Graphcore spokesperson told CNBC the new funds are part of the money SoftBank expects to provide this year.
The chip deal aligns with SoftBank’s broader AI-infrastructure push, including its role in the $500 billion Stargate project with OpenAI and Oracle.

History

Historical Context

After Masayoshi Son poured $20 million into Alibaba in 2000, SoftBank turned that stake into a $34 billion gain by 2022 and later sold most of it. The group’s $100 billion Vision Fund, launched in 2017, then suffered multi-billion-dollar losses, prompting a shift toward AI. Today SoftBank is backing UK chipmaker Graphcore and expanding its OpenAI investment.

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SoftBank Profits

SoftBank will earn 236 billion yen in the Jan-Mar quarter, aided by its OpenAI investment.
Its 11% OpenAI stake rose to $80 billion after a February round that valued OpenAI at $840 billion.
The Vision Fund posted a $46 billion gain that drove a 5 trillion-yen profit and prompted S&P to turn SoftBank’s outlook negative after a $40 billion bridge loan for OpenAI.

1 / 3