SoftBank Reaps $45B Gain on OpenAI Investment
SAN FRANCISCO — SoftBank Group Corp. has realized a $45 billion gain on its investment in OpenAI, ranking among the largest returns in venture capital history, according to Yahoo Finance.
The return reflects OpenAI’s rise in generative AI, driven by adoption of its ChatGPT platform and a series of fundraising rounds that have pushed the company’s valuation higher.
SoftBank, led by founder and CEO Masayoshi Son, has been one of the largest investors in OpenAI. The Japanese technology and investment conglomerate committed billions to OpenAI through multiple funding rounds, including a reported $40 billion investment round earlier this year that valued OpenAI at $300 billion, making it the most valuable private company in the world at the time.
The $45 billion gain places SoftBank’s OpenAI stake among the most successful investments in the firm’s history, alongside its early position in Alibaba Group, which generated roughly $60 billion in returns over two decades.
OpenAI, headquartered in San Francisco, has been at the center of the generative AI sector since the launch of ChatGPT in late 2022.
SoftBank has deepened its ties to the U.S. AI ecosystem in recent years. Son has positioned the conglomerate as a backer of American AI development, including participation in the Stargate joint venture alongside OpenAI and Oracle Corp. to build AI data center infrastructure across the United States.
The gains come as SoftBank works to strengthen its broader investment portfolio following losses in its Vision Fund. The OpenAI returns represent a rebound for the firm’s technology investment strategy.
OpenAI has been on a rapid growth trajectory, expanding its enterprise offerings, launching new model generations, and pursuing a restructuring of its corporate governance as it transitions from its original nonprofit structure.