By Yang Jie and Megumi Fujikawa
TOKYO--SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son wants to bring the tech conglomerate's net asset value to $6.189 trillion over the next decade or so, setting a bold target built on the promise of artificial "superintelligence."
Speaking at an annual shareholder meeting in Tokyo on Wednesday, Son acknowledged the ambition of the 1,000 trillion yen goal but said SoftBank has consistently proven its ability to create value.
Calling SoftBank a "goose laying golden AI eggs," the veteran investor said the company has multiplied its worth since adopting a strategy built around a theoretical form of AI that surpasses human capability, or AI superintelligence.
SoftBank's strategy centers on what Son described as a global shift from algorithm‑driven advances to the physical infrastructure needed to run them.
As the world moves to "physical AI superintelligence," the bottleneck is no longer model design but the chips, power and data‑center capacity required to operate advanced systems at scale, he said. That aligns with SoftBank's push to become a leading robotics company, and it has already started mass‑producing robots, Son added.
Bets on AI, including stakes in ChatGPT maker OpenAI and chip designer Arm, helped propel the Japanese group's shares to record highs this month, even as the sector's sharp swings have made it a double-edged trade for investors.
Son told shareholders that Arm's decision to begin producing its own chips has helped push the British company's valuation to about $391 billion. That figure could grow "more than tenfold" as Arm--which SoftBank has a nearly 90% stake in--is positioned to become one of the world's most important central processor suppliers as AI computing moves toward processor‑centric architecture, he said.
Son also defended SoftBank's investment in Intel, saying that its initial $2 billion stake has multiplied in value as the U.S. chip maker regains importance thanks to U.S. national-security priorities and new partnerships with companies such as Nvidia and Apple.
"The U.S. has no choice but to strengthen Intel," he said.
When asked about the group's data-center investments, Son said SoftBank is finalizing a memorandum of understanding related to data-center development in Ohio. He didn't name any customer but said the arrangement is poised to generate "tremendous" profits. Additional projects are being prepared in several other regions, including Texas, France and Japan, he added.
With demand for large data centers accelerating, Son said there are plans to scale up the multibillion-dollar Stargate AI infrastructure initiative involving SoftBank, OpenAI, Oracle and others. He offered few details on the project's current progress, saying only that it is under development and will grow in step with global AI infrastructure needs.
Domestically, he confirmed that SoftBank remains one of the key candidates under consideration to invest in Japan's largest electric utility, Tokyo Electric Power, to build AI data centers in the country. But he warned that local regulations make for lengthy approval processes that can't keep pace with AI development.
Some worry that the breakneck speed of the AI boom isn't sustainable, but Son dismissed fears of a market "bubble."
The CEO said he understands why some shareholders are "half-believing, half‑doubting" about SoftBank's valuation, but that he is "all belief with zero doubt."
The AI revolution has barely begun, said Son, who said he has no plans to retire and wants to see what's next on the horizon.
"No one else in Japan is ready to dream that big...I will," Son said.
Write to Yang Jie at jie.yang@wsj.com and Megumi Fujikawa at megumi.fujikawa@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
June 24, 2026 03:18 ET (07:18 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2026 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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