SoftBank has completed its long-anticipated investment commitment to OpenAI, according to sources familiar with the transaction.
The Japanese conglomerate sent a final payment of between $22bn and $22.5bn last week.
This brought SoftBank’s total investment in the ChatGPT developer to approximately $41bn.
The deal leaves SoftBank holding an estimated 11% stake in the company.
Deal structured over extended period
SoftBank had previously invested $7.5bn directly and syndicated a further $11bn alongside co-investors.
The full funding package was structured to be paid over a 12- to 24-month period.
Part of the capital is expected to support OpenAI’s Stargate artificial intelligence infrastructure venture.
That project is being developed in partnership with Oracle and SoftBank.
Valuation underscores AI boom
Earlier reports suggested the investment was agreed at a $260bn pre-money valuation.
The scale of the deal highlights the aggressive spending underway to support rising demand for AI services.
Technology firms have poured billions into data centres, chips, and cloud infrastructure.
These investments are designed to meet rapidly expanding computing requirements.
OpenAI ramps up infrastructure commitments
OpenAI has reportedly made more than $1.4 trillion in infrastructure commitments over coming years.
Agreements have been signed with major chipmakers including Nvidia, AMD, and Broadcom.
The company continues to rely heavily on strategic backing from Microsoft.
It is also said to be preparing for a potential initial public offering.
SoftBank reshapes its portfolio
SoftBank has a long history of making large technology bets, including early backing of Nvidia.
Last month, the group sold its entire $5.8bn stake in the chipmaker.
A source said the sale helped free up capital to support the OpenAI investment.
More recently, SoftBank agreed to acquire data centre investment firm DigitalBridge for $4bn.
The move is intended to strengthen its push into AI infrastructure.
More funding interest emerges
OpenAI has continued to attract attention from other major companies.
Reports suggest Amazon is exploring a potential investment exceeding $10bn.
Disney has also become a backer following a $1bn equity deal linked to OpenAI’s Sora video generator.
The agreement allows licensed characters such as Mickey Mouse to be used in generated content.
