SoftBank has sold its $5.8 billion stake in Nvidia to finance its growing investment in OpenAI, marking a major reorientation in its AI strategy. The move underscores a global trend among major investors shifting focus from hardware providers to AI platforms.
The company’s second-quarter results revealed profits of 2.5 trillion yen, more than double the prior year, thanks largely to valuation gains in AI-linked assets. SoftBank also trimmed its T-Mobile holdings to free up cash for new opportunities.
CFO Yoshimitsu Goto said the sale was part of a long-term investment strategy. “More than $30 billion will be deployed into OpenAI this year. It’s about positioning ourselves for where AI value will be created next,” he said.
Nvidia’s stock dropped 3.5% following the news, sending ripples across the technology sector. The Nasdaq Composite declined nearly 1%, and several AI-related stocks saw modest pullbacks.
Analysts said SoftBank’s timing was logical given Nvidia’s massive run-up and growing speculation of a market top. By reallocating those gains into OpenAI, SoftBank is betting on the next stage of AI evolution — the shift from computing infrastructure to creative intelligence.