DigitalBridge Shareholders Approve $4B SoftBank Acquisition

BOCA RATON, FL – April 23, 2026 – DigitalBridge Group, Inc. (NYSE: DBRG) is one major step closer to going private after its stockholders overwhelmingly voted to approve a landmark acquisition by Japanese technology giant SoftBank Group Corp. The all-cash deal, valued at approximately $4 billion, promises a significant payout for investors and marks a strategic victory for SoftBank in its quest to dominate the next generation of artificial intelligence.

At a virtual special meeting held today, holders of DigitalBridge common stock decisively greenlit the transaction. Under the terms of the agreement, first announced on December 29, 2025, shareholders will receive $16.00 per share in cash upon the deal's closing. The vote clears a critical hurdle for an acquisition that is set to reshape the landscape of digital infrastructure investment.

A Resounding 'Yes' from Investors

The shareholder vote was not merely a formality but a powerful endorsement of the deal. Preliminary results announced at the meeting revealed that approximately 96% of the votes cast were in favor of the acquisition. This represented about 121 million shares, easily satisfying the requirement for approval by a majority of outstanding common stock. Participation was also strong, with holders of roughly 69% of the company's shares taking part in the vote.

For investors, the $16.00 per share price represents a substantial premium. The offer reflects a 15% premium over the company's closing price on December 26, 2025, and an even more impressive 50% premium compared to the unaffected 52-week average closing price before acquisition talks were first reported in early December. When rumors of SoftBank's interest initially surfaced, DigitalBridge stock was trading below $10, highlighting the significant value unlocked by the transaction. The stock had surged more than 45% at one point in December as the market digested the news, and the final shareholder approval provides a definitive path to realizing that value.

DigitalBridge announced that it will release its first-quarter 2026 financial results on April 28. However, in a move consistent with its practice during the pending acquisition, the company will not hold an earnings conference call. Financial statements and supplemental information will be made available directly on its investor relations website.

The Foundation for an AI Superpower

While the deal provides a lucrative exit for DigitalBridge shareholders, its true significance lies in SoftBank's overarching strategy. The acquisition is a calculated move by SoftBank Chairman and CEO Masayoshi Son to secure the physical backbone required to achieve his ambitious vision for Artificial Super Intelligence (ASI). SoftBank's leadership believes that the next technological revolution will be built not just on advanced algorithms but on an unprecedented scale of computing power, connectivity, and data management—the very assets in which DigitalBridge specializes.

DigitalBridge is a leading global manager of digital infrastructure assets, with a portfolio spanning data centers, cell towers, fiber optic networks, and edge computing facilities. By acquiring the company, SoftBank gains direct influence over a vast and diversified collection of the foundational systems needed to train and deploy next-generation AI models. This move is seen by market observers as a critical step in ensuring SoftBank has the necessary capacity to support its massive AI-related investments, including its deep ties to OpenAI and other large-scale computing initiatives.

This acquisition is not merely an asset grab; it is an acquisition of expertise. DigitalBridge will continue to operate as a separately managed platform under the leadership of its CEO, Marc Ganzi. This structure allows SoftBank to leverage DigitalBridge's three decades of experience and specialized management capabilities to build out and scale the transformational infrastructure that the AI era demands. The move underscores a growing consensus in the tech world: the race for AI dominance will be won by those who control the physical infrastructure as much as by those who write the code.

The Regulatory Gauntlet Ahead

Despite the decisive shareholder vote, the journey to closing the deal is not yet complete. The transaction remains subject to a series of customary closing conditions, most notably the receipt of necessary regulatory approvals from governmental bodies both in the United States and abroad. Given the global nature of both companies and the strategic importance of digital infrastructure, the review process is expected to be thorough.

In the U.S., the deal will likely face scrutiny from antitrust authorities such as the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Furthermore, because the transaction involves a Japanese entity acquiring a U.S. company with critical technology assets, it will almost certainly be reviewed by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) to assess any potential national security implications.

Both companies have signaled their anticipation of a lengthy review process, with an expected closing date in the second half of 2026. The merger agreement contains provisions for an extension of the closing deadline to March 2027 if regulatory approvals are still pending, indicating a built-in buffer for navigating a complex legal and political landscape. The outcome of these reviews will be a key determinant of the deal's final timeline and ultimate success.

Reshaping the Digital Backbone

The SoftBank-DigitalBridge deal is a landmark event in a broader industry trend of massive investment and consolidation in the digital infrastructure sector. As AI, cloud computing, and a torrent of data transform the global economy, the underlying assets—data centers, fiber lines, and wireless towers—have become some of the most sought-after real estate in the world. Power availability, in particular, has emerged as a defining constraint and a key strategic advantage in the AI buildout.

This acquisition highlights the immense valuation being placed on these foundational assets and the companies that manage them. It sends a clear signal to the market that major technology players are willing to pay a premium to secure the infrastructure needed to fuel their growth. The move could trigger a new wave of M&A activity as competitors scramble to fortify their own infrastructure positions, potentially leading to further consolidation among data center operators, fiber companies, and tower owners.

For the industry, the integration of DigitalBridge into SoftBank's sprawling technology ecosystem will be closely watched. The combination of SoftBank's capital and strategic vision with DigitalBridge's operational expertise has the potential to accelerate the deployment of AI-ready infrastructure on a global scale, influencing everything from data center design to the expansion of global connectivity for years to come.