$4 Billion DigitalBridge Buyout Positions SoftBank at Center of AI Infrastructure

SoftBank Group is paying $4 billion to acquire DigitalBridge Group, a transaction that places the Japanese investment giant at the center of the booming artificial intelligence infrastructure sector. The deal announcement underscores SoftBank’s determination to capture value from the rapid expansion of AI technologies under founder Masayoshi Son’s leadership.
Through this acquisition, SoftBank dramatically expands its footprint in digital infrastructure, which encompasses the physical assets and network capabilities necessary to support AI applications. Son has articulated a clear vision of artificial intelligence as a once-in-a-generation technological breakthrough, and he’s been directing capital toward infrastructure investments that benefit from surging demand for AI computing power. DigitalBridge’s portfolio provides diversified exposure to infrastructure sectors experiencing strong growth driven by AI adoption.
DigitalBridge specializes in digital infrastructure investments spanning datacenters, cell towers, fiber networks, small-cell systems, and edge infrastructure. The company’s holdings include prominent businesses like Vantage Data Centers, Zayo, Switch, and AtlasEdge. Founded in 1991 as Colony Capital with a traditional real estate focus, the firm underwent a strategic metamorphosis under CEO Marc Ganzi, selling off legacy property assets and rebranding as DigitalBridge in 2021 to reflect its new concentration on digital infrastructure.
Marc Ganzi will continue leading DigitalBridge as CEO, with the business operating as an independent platform within SoftBank’s organizational structure. The transaction brings substantial scale: DigitalBridge managed approximately $108 billion in assets at the end of September, making it one of the largest investment firms focused exclusively on the digital infrastructure sector. This gives SoftBank immediate access to an extensive network of infrastructure assets and industry expertise.
SoftBank’s AI infrastructure strategy encompasses additional major initiatives beyond DigitalBridge. The company is a core partner in the Stargate project, working with OpenAI, Oracle, and MGX, a technology investment firm headquartered in Abu Dhabi. Stargate involves deploying billions of dollars to build large-scale computing infrastructure optimized for advanced AI development. The project roadmap includes five new computing sites in Texas, New Mexico, and Ohio, designed for approximately 7 gigawatts of combined power capacity.