SoftBank Buys DigitalBridge in $4B Bid for AI Infrastructure Dominance

TOKYO, JAPAN and BOCA RATON, FL – December 29, 2025 – In a landmark move that underscores the critical importance of physical infrastructure in the race for artificial intelligence supremacy, SoftBank Group Corp. has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire DigitalBridge Group, Inc. for an enterprise value of approximately $4.0 billion. The all-cash deal values DigitalBridge at $16.00 per share, a significant 50% premium over its unaffected 52-week average stock price.

The acquisition is a cornerstone of SoftBank Chairman and CEO Masayoshi Son’s ambitious vision to achieve Artificial Super Intelligence (ASI), a form of AI he predicts will surpass human intellect by a factor of 10,000. By purchasing DigitalBridge, a leading global manager of digital infrastructure assets, SoftBank is making a monumental bet that the future of AI will be won not just with algorithms and silicon, but with steel, concrete, and fiber-optic cable.

The Grand Strategy for AI Super-Structure

For years, SoftBank has been a dominant force in technology investment, famously backing innovators in AI, robotics, and IoT. This acquisition, however, signals a strategic evolution from a financial backer to a foundational builder of the AI-powered future. The move is seen as a direct play to secure the “picks and shovels” of the AI gold rush, controlling the underlying infrastructure necessary to power next-generation applications.

This transaction doesn't exist in a vacuum. It is a critical piece of SoftBank's broader AI strategy, which includes its majority stake in chip designer Arm Holdings, the recent $6.5 billion acquisition of Arm-based server processor firm Ampere Computing, and significant investments in AI leaders like OpenAI and Nvidia. The acquisition of DigitalBridge provides the final, physical piece of this vertically integrated puzzle.

Central to this strategy is SoftBank's colossal $500 billion “Project Stargate,” an initiative aimed at building a global network of hyperscale data centers and advanced compute platforms. By bringing DigitalBridge's expertise and $108 billion portfolio of assets under its umbrella, SoftBank gains immediate operational capability and a world-class team to execute this vision. DigitalBridge, which will continue to operate as a separately managed platform under its current CEO Marc Ganzi, provides the specialized knowledge needed to build, scale, and finance the foundational infrastructure vital for SoftBank's ASI mission.

“The path to advanced AI is paved with immense physical requirements,” noted one industry analyst. “This isn't just about software anymore. It's about securing access to unprecedented levels of power, cooling, and connectivity. SoftBank is moving to control the physical moats that will define the next decade of technological competition.”

A Lucrative Exit and a New Beginning

For DigitalBridge and its shareholders, the deal represents a lucrative culmination of a multi-year transformation. The $16.00 per share price offers a 15% premium to the company’s closing price on December 26, 2025, and a substantial 50% premium to its average price before acquisition talks were first reported on December 5. News of the potential deal sent DigitalBridge shares (NYSE: DBRG) soaring, reflecting investor confidence in the valuation.

Under the leadership of Marc Ganzi, the firm successfully pivoted from its origins as a real estate investment trust named Colony Capital to become a pure-play digital infrastructure powerhouse. It now manages a vast portfolio spanning data centers, cell towers, and fiber networks across North America, Europe, Asia, and Latin America. The transaction, which has been unanimously recommended by DigitalBridge's board, provides the company with access to SoftBank's deep capital reserves, enabling it to accelerate its growth with a longer-term investment horizon and greater flexibility.

While SoftBank’s stock (TSE: 9984) saw a modest rise on the news, the strategic value is viewed as a long-term play. The all-cash nature of the transaction is designed to provide certainty and reduce financing risk, a crucial factor in today’s volatile market. The move validates the soaring market value of digital infrastructure assets, which are becoming increasingly scarce and valuable as the demands of AI workloads explode.

The New Frontier: Why Physical Assets are King

The global AI infrastructure market is experiencing unprecedented growth, with projections suggesting it will surpass $200 billion in annual spending by 2028. This boom is fueled by the voracious appetite of AI models for compute power and data, which in turn requires a massive expansion of physical data centers.

DigitalBridge’s portfolio is a perfect match for these needs. With assets like European data center operator AtlasEdge, Southeast Asian provider AIMS, and telecom tower networks across Scandinavia and South America, it provides the geographic diversity and asset variety needed to support a global AI platform. These are not just buildings; they are highly specialized facilities with complex power and cooling systems, connected by vast networks of high-speed fiber—the very circulatory system of the digital economy.

This acquisition highlights a fundamental truth about the current technological era: AI supremacy depends on controlling the structural bottlenecks of its deployment. As one tech strategist commented, “The real challenge is no longer just writing the smartest algorithm. It’s finding a place to plug it in. Securing power, land, grid connections, and the permits to build is where the real battle is being fought.” This move by SoftBank is a clear signal that the world’s leading tech visionaries are now focused on conquering these physical world challenges.

Navigating the Regulatory Gauntlet

With the deal expected to close in the second half of 2026, both companies now face a period of intense regulatory scrutiny. Given the cross-border nature of the transaction and the strategic importance of digital infrastructure, regulatory bodies across the globe will be taking a close look. In the United States, the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) will almost certainly review the deal for any potential national security implications related to foreign ownership of critical communications and data infrastructure.

Antitrust agencies in the U.S., Europe, and Japan will also examine the potential for vertical integration to stifle competition. As tech giants move to control more layers of the technology stack, from chips to data centers, regulators have become increasingly wary of the potential for anticompetitive behavior. Successfully navigating this complex web of international regulations will be a critical hurdle for SoftBank and DigitalBridge to clear. The outcome of these reviews will not only determine the fate of this specific deal but could also set a precedent for future mega-mergers in the AI and infrastructure sectors.