$4 Billion DigitalBridge Deal Positions SoftBank for AI Infrastructure Growth

A $4 billion deal to acquire DigitalBridge Group positions SoftBank Group for substantial growth in artificial intelligence infrastructure investment, both companies announced. The transaction reflects billionaire Masayoshi Son’s conviction that infrastructure assets will be central to capturing value from the AI revolution.
Through this acquisition, SoftBank gains significantly broadened exposure to digital infrastructure, which provides the computing, storage, and connectivity capabilities essential for AI applications. Son has been orchestrating a strategic shift of SoftBank’s investments toward artificial intelligence, characterizing it as the defining technological transformation of this era. The massive increase in demand for computing resources to support AI systems has created lucrative opportunities in infrastructure, which DigitalBridge’s specialized portfolio addresses.
DigitalBridge’s investment focus spans critical digital infrastructure sectors including datacenter facilities, telecommunications tower networks, fiber optic systems, small-cell infrastructure, and edge computing platforms. Holdings include industry-leading companies like Vantage Data Centers, Zayo, Switch, and AtlasEdge. The firm’s evolution from its 1991 founding as real estate investor Colony Capital to its current form occurred under CEO Marc Ganzi’s leadership, involving the comprehensive divestiture of traditional property investments 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. The magnitude of the acquisition is considerable: DigitalBridge had approximately $108 billion in assets under management as of the end of September, establishing it as among the largest dedicated investors in digital infrastructure globally. This gives SoftBank immediate access to substantial assets and deep industry relationships.
SoftBank’s involvement in AI infrastructure includes multiple major initiatives. The company is a core partner in the Stargate project, collaborating with OpenAI, Oracle, and MGX, a technology investor headquartered in Abu Dhabi. This ambitious venture involves deploying billions of dollars to construct large-scale computing infrastructure purpose-built for advanced AI development. The project includes plans for five computing facilities in Texas, New Mexico, and Ohio with approximately 7 gigawatts of total power capacity.