Core Insights - SoftBank Group is undergoing a significant transformation, focusing on a major shift towards artificial intelligence investments led by founder Masayoshi Son [2] - The Vision Fund is laying off nearly 20% of its global team, which currently exceeds 300 employees, marking the third round of layoffs since 2022 [2] - This restructuring comes after the fund reported its best quarterly performance since June 2021, driven by gains from Nvidia and Coupang [2] Group 1 - The layoffs are not due to financial losses but rather a strategic pivot to concentrate resources on AI initiatives, particularly the ambitious $500 billion "Stargate" project in collaboration with OpenAI [2] - The remaining team members will focus on high-stakes AI projects, indicating a departure from the previous broad investment strategy [2] - A spokesperson for the Vision Fund confirmed the layoffs, emphasizing the need to optimize organizational structure for long-term strategic execution in AI and disruptive technologies [2] Group 2 - Over the past year, SoftBank has invested $9.7 billion in OpenAI through its second Vision Fund, which currently manages approximately $65.8 billion in assets [3] - SoftBank is building a comprehensive ecosystem centered around Arm, acquiring companies like Graphcore and Ampere Computing, and investing in Intel and Nvidia to establish a closed-loop system from chips to data centers to models [3] - Despite the ambitious strategy, there are risks involved, as recent reports indicate delays in the Stargate project and the joint venture with OpenAI in Japan [3] - SoftBank's CFO stated that the company holds ¥4 trillion (approximately $27 billion) in cash, indicating a secure financial position [3]