SoftBank completes $40 billion OpenAI investment

Core Insights - SoftBank has committed $22.5 billion to OpenAI, completing a total funding round of $40 billion, with SoftBank contributing $30 billion and owning over 10% of OpenAI at a $260 billion pre-money valuation, indicating a nearly doubled valuation for the startup [1] Funding and Investment Strategy - The funding round involved extensive negotiations with Microsoft, focusing on new commercial terms and restructuring OpenAI into a public benefit corporation to secure the final tranche of funding from SoftBank [2] - Part of the new capital will be allocated to Stargate, an AI infrastructure joint venture involving OpenAI, Oracle, and SoftBank, as part of a broader infrastructure investment strategy [2] - OpenAI has committed over $1.4 trillion in infrastructure spending over the coming years, forming partnerships with Nvidia, AMD, and Broadcom [2] Portfolio Repositioning - SoftBank has strategically repositioned its portfolio to facilitate this investment, including liquidating its entire stake in Nvidia, which amounted to nearly $6 billion, to fund the investment in OpenAI [3][4] - Additionally, SoftBank has agreed to acquire data center firm Digital Bridge for $4 billion to enhance its infrastructure initiatives, indicating a direct investment approach in OpenAI rather than through Nvidia [4]