SoftBank Group announced today it will acquire digital infrastructure giant DigitalBridge for approximately $4 billion. The cash deal, offering $16 per share, hands billionaire Masayoshi Son a hefty portfolio of data centers and networks just as AI’s power demands threaten to outpace the grid itself.
The acquisition instantly bolsters SoftBank’s foothold in the unglamorous but essential world of servers humming in warehouses. Shareholders of DigitalBridge certainly felt the warmth, with shares jumping nearly 10% to $15.27 on the news – a polite applause after a 45% sprint earlier this month when whispers of the deal first leaked.
This purchase arrives as companies race to secure the computing muscle needed for ever-smarter AI models.
One observer called it a milestone in tackling infrastructure bottlenecks, though he quickly added that SoftBank remains a long way from dominating the global market. Perhaps that’s the understated charm of these deals – grand visions tempered by the reality of mere billions.
DigitalBridge manages a staggering $108 billion in assets, specializing in the nuts and bolts of the digital age: data centers, cell towers, fiber networks, and edge infrastructure. Its holdings include standout names like Vantage Data Centers, Zayo, Switch, and AtlasEdge.
Once upon a time, back in 1991, the firm started life as Colony Capital, focused on traditional real estate. Under CEO Marc Ganzi, it shed those brick-and-mortar roots, pivoted sharply to digital assets, and rebranded in 2021.
Ganzi stays on to lead the platform independently, ensuring continuity while SoftBank provides the deeper pockets. The $16-per-share offer carries a 15% premium over Friday’s close, valuing the equity at $2.92 billion. Closing is slated for the second half of 2026, pending the usual regulatory nods.
Masayoshi Son clearly sees surging demand for AI compute as the opportunity of a lifetime. After all, someone has to house the servers training models that can write poetry, code software, and occasionally hallucinate wildly.
DigitalBridge also plays a role in the ambitious Stargate project alongside OpenAI, Oracle, and MGX – a multi-billion-dollar push for massive AI computing sites across the U.S.
SoftBank itself joined OpenAI and Oracle in plans for five new facilities in Texas, New Mexico, and Ohio, aiming for a combined seven gigawatts of power. That’s enough juice to light up a small country, or at least keep the AI lights on during peak brainstorming hours.
In the end, this deal underscores a simple truth: behind every flashy AI breakthrough lies a warehouse full of blinking racks, quietly consuming power and waiting for the next big query.
SoftBank just ensured it owns more of those warehouses.
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