SoftBank Group is adding a $4 billion DigitalBridge Group deal to its growing portfolio of artificial intelligence infrastructure investments. The acquisition announcement reflects billionaire Masayoshi Son’s systematic approach to building a dominant position in the infrastructure supporting AI technologies.
The transaction provides SoftBank with substantially increased exposure to digital infrastructure, which delivers the essential computing, networking, and storage capabilities for AI systems. Son has been explicitly directing SoftBank’s capital toward artificial intelligence, recognizing it as a once-in-a-generation technological breakthrough. The massive demand for computing resources to support AI applications has made infrastructure assets increasingly valuable, which DigitalBridge’s portfolio directly addresses.
DigitalBridge invests across essential digital infrastructure sectors including datacenters, cell towers, fiber networks, small-cell systems, and edge infrastructure. The portfolio features prominent businesses such as Vantage Data Centers, Zayo, Switch, and AtlasEdge. The company’s transformation from its 1991 origins as Colony Capital, a real estate investment firm, to today’s digital infrastructure specialist occurred under CEO Marc Ganzi’s leadership, involving the comprehensive sale of traditional property assets and the 2021 rebrand.
Following the transaction, Ganzi will remain at the helm as CEO, with DigitalBridge functioning as a separately managed platform within SoftBank’s structure. The scale of the acquisition is significant: DigitalBridge had around $108 billion in assets under management as of September 30, positioning it among the world’s premier dedicated investors in digital infrastructure. This established platform brings both substantial assets and deep relationships to SoftBank.
SoftBank’s involvement in AI infrastructure includes multiple major initiatives. The company is a founding partner in the Stargate project, working alongside OpenAI, Oracle, and MGX, an investment firm headquartered in Abu Dhabi. Stargate represents a multi-billion-dollar commitment to building large-scale computing infrastructure optimized for advanced AI development. The project roadmap includes five computing facilities in Texas, New Mexico, and Ohio designed for approximately 7 gigawatts of combined power capacity.
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