$4 billion, 15% premium! Masayoshi Son acquires American data center operator DigitalBridge, which was founded by Trump allies

SoftBank is accelerating the construction of its global artificial intelligence infrastructure network, with its latest move being a multi-billion dollar acquisition of the American digital infrastructure giant DigitalBridge.

According to the Financial Times on Tuesday, SoftBank Group has agreed to acquire DigitalBridge for approximately $4 billion, with the deal involving a cash purchase of $16 per share, a 15% premium over last Friday's closing price, and an enterprise value of about $4 billion including debt.

Masayoshi Son is fully betting that AI will fundamentally change business and society, as well as SoftBank's growth prospects. This deal is a key part of SoftBank's AI infrastructure strategy, with DigitalBridge managing over $100 billion in assets, including data centers, cellular communication towers, and fiber optic cable networks. Masayoshi Son stated that this acquisition will "strengthen the foundation for next-generation AI data centers."

DigitalBridge was founded in 1991 by Tom Barrack, an early financial supporter of Trump, originally named Colony Capital. Barrack currently serves as the U.S. Ambassador to Turkey. The transaction is expected to be completed in the second half of 2026, with DigitalBridge CEO Marc Ganzi continuing to lead the company as an "independent management platform."

SoftBank's stock price has nearly doubled this year, but has fallen by a third in the past two months, amid market concerns about an AI industry bubble and SoftBank's ability to finance its massive investment in OpenAI.

The Battle for AI Infrastructure Intensifies

Masayoshi Son positions this acquisition as a core pillar of his "artificial superintelligence" strategy. He stated, "As AI transforms industries globally, we need more computing power, connectivity, electricity, and scalable infrastructure."

The asset portfolio of DigitalBridge is exactly what SoftBank needs. The company manages over $100 billion in assets that encompass key infrastructure for the AI era, such as data centers, telecom towers, and fiber optic networks. These assets will synergize with SoftBank's massive investment in OpenAI and the Stargate AI infrastructure project in collaboration with database company Oracle, which will provide computing power support for ChatGPT.

DigitalBridge CEO Ganzi remarked, "Building AI infrastructure represents one of the most important investment opportunities for our generation." Ganzi is a seasoned dealmaker in the telecom industry and previously founded the American telecom infrastructure company Global Tower Partners, which was sold for $4.8 billion in 2013.

Digital Transformation of Trump's Allies

The history of DigitalBridge is closely tied to American politics. The company was founded in 1991 by Tom Barrack under the name Colony Capital, and Barrack is an early financial supporter of President Trump, currently serving as the U.S. Ambassador to Turkey In 2019, Barrack led the acquisition of data center investment firm Digital Bridge for $325 million. He stepped down as executive chairman in 2021, and the company was subsequently renamed DigitalBridge, shifting from traditional real estate business to focusing on digital infrastructure investment.

After the transaction is completed, Ganzi will continue to lead DigitalBridge as an independent management platform. The deal requires regulatory approval and is expected to be completed in the second half of 2026.

M&A Frenzy Under Financing Pressure

SoftBank's stock price has nearly doubled since 2025, but it has fallen by one-third in the past two months, raising market concerns about the AI industry bubble and SoftBank's ability to finance its massive investments. In early November this year, SoftBank sold all its shares in AI chipmaker Nvidia, cashing out $5.8 billion for M&A financing.

SoftBank's Chief Financial Officer Yoshimoto Goto stated last month that the group needs to "divest its existing portfolio" to raise over $30 billion for investment in OpenAI.

However, this has not curtailed Masayoshi Son's pace of mergers and acquisitions. SoftBank agreed last October to acquire ABB's robotics division for $5.4 billion, and according to the Financial Times, it is also in discussions to expand its investment in UK autonomous driving startup Wayve. Masayoshi Son also agreed to invest $2 billion in struggling Silicon Valley chipmaker Intel, further showcasing his alliance with Trump.

Large investment institutions have been focused on building data center portfolios to capitalize on the AI boom, with several investors ultimately choosing to acquire specialized data center owners, as building these portfolios from scratch is quite challenging.

Private equity firm Ares completed its acquisition of the international business of real estate developer GLP Capital Partners earlier this year. This trend reflects the fierce competition in the market for AI infrastructure assets and the strategic preference for rapidly acquiring scaled assets through mergers and acquisitions