It has been confirmed that Japan's SoftBank Group has sold all of its 32.1 million shares of Nvidia. The sale price is approximately 8.5 trillion won (US$5.83 billion), and the funds secured will be used to expand investments in artificial intelligence (AI).
This sale attracted market attention, with major foreign media outlets, including Bloomberg, reporting on the 11th (local time). SoftBank is actively shifting its focus to AI-focused new businesses through asset securitization, and Chairman Son is seen as undertaking a strategic portfolio restructuring in line with the explosive growth of the global AI industry. The announcement of reinvestment in key AI companies, such as OpenAI, is particularly noteworthy.
SoftBank is believed to have realized significant capital gains thanks to NVIDIA's extremely strong stock price. However, immediately following this large-scale sale, NVIDIA's stock price fell by approximately 3%, showing a sensitive reaction. SoftBank responded by stating, "This has nothing to do with the AI market bubble theory and is simply a strategic asset recovery." This demonstrates the simultaneous development of concerns about overheating in the AI industry and the reallocation of assets among companies.
The AI industry has seen explosive growth in investment and technological advancement in recent years, leading to its dominance in the global technology market. According to market research firm IDC, the global AI market is growing at an average annual rate of over 25%, and platform companies like generative AI, OpenAI, and ChatGPT are particularly recognized for their high investment value. Within this dynamic, SoftBank's decision is interpreted as a mid- to long-term bet on the AI industry, going beyond short-term profit-taking.
Chairman Son has repeatedly emphasized that "AI is the next-generation growth engine driving human progress." According to foreign media reports, he described the sale of NVIDIA as "a bold move to simultaneously secure technological leadership and manage capital appropriate for the AI era." However, Chairman Son's own comments have not been confirmed.
Some financial and technology experts interpret this sale as signaling a turning point for the AI industry. Some argue that AI technology is acting as a "game changer" that is shifting the paradigm across industries, and that investment portfolios should align accordingly. Conversely, caution persists over excessive expectations in the AI sector and the widening gap between corporate value and performance.
SoftBank has consistently expanded its influence in the global tech industry by making early investments in cutting-edge technology companies like Alibaba and ARM, then recapturing funds through large-scale sales and reinvesting them in new growth industries. This AI-focused restructuring can be understood in the same context, and its impact is expected to impact the entire technology industry in the medium to long term.