SoftBank(US:SFTBY) Z Potentials·2025-08-11 04:05Core Viewpoint - SoftBank Group has acquired Foxconn's electric vehicle plant in Ohio to advance its $500 billion "Stargate" data center project in collaboration with OpenAI and Oracle [1][3]. Group 1 - The sale of the electric vehicle plant for $375 million to Crescent Dune LLC is part of SoftBank's strategy to engage Foxconn in building AI data centers and related infrastructure across the U.S. [3] - Foxconn's flagship company, Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., has agreed to operate the Ohio plant for its own AI server manufacturing business [3]. - SoftBank and Foxconn have formed a joint venture to invest $735 million each in data center and manufacturing projects in the U.S. [3]. Group 2 - SoftBank is exploring multiple potential sites for the Stargate project, assessing local water, electricity supply, and telecommunications conditions [4]. - The project has faced delays due to difficulties in reaching consensus with partners and challenges in establishing a pricing model for financing [4]. - Despite these challenges, SoftBank has attracted interest from major Japanese banks and overseas institutional investors for the Stargate project [4]. Group 3 - OpenAI is advancing other data center projects under the Stargate brand, including a site in Abilene, Texas, which was initiated before SoftBank's involvement [5]. - The Stargate plan also includes a 5 GW data center park in Abu Dhabi, with OpenAI as the main tenant, supported by the Abu Dhabi investment fund MGX [5].