Story perspectives

SoftBank Seeks Up to $100B From Gulf for AI

By Drooid · Oct 9, 2026, 3:08 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son is seeking up to $100 billion from Gulf investors to fund AI projects.
SoftBank has invested nearly $65 billion in OpenAI, including a $30 billion round last week.
SoftBank issued $11.1 billion of high-yield bonds, the world’s largest, to finance its OpenAI bets.
SoftBank shares fell up to 7.3% in Tokyo on Friday amid OpenAI revenue concerns.

History

Historical Context

During the late-1990s, venture capital poured into internet startups, driving the Nasdaq Composite up 400% between 1995 and its March 2000 peak. After the 2000 crash that erased 78% of Nasdaq’s value and cut Cisco’s market cap by 80%, regulators tightened oversight; today SoftBank’s massive Gulf fundraise and OpenAI pledge revive concerns of similar market volatility, prompting Tokyo’s warning.

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Story summary

SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son is seeking up to $100 billion from Gulf investors to fund AI projects.
SoftBank has invested nearly $65 billion in OpenAI, including a $30 billion round last week.
SoftBank issued $11.1 billion of high-yield bonds, the world’s largest, to finance its OpenAI bets.
SoftBank shares fell up to 7.3% in Tokyo on Friday amid OpenAI revenue concerns.

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