Reflecting on Missed Opportunities: SoftBank’s Three Attempts to Acquire NVIDIA

At a recent public dialogue in Tokyo, SoftBank Group Chairman and CEO Masayoshi Son and NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang reflected on three attempts by SoftBank to acquire NVIDIA or deepen their partnership. Following SoftBank’s acquisition of ARM in 2016, Son privately proposed acquiring NVIDIA, seeing an untapped growth potential in NVIDIA’s trajectory that the market hadn’t yet grasped. While the proposal was not accepted, Huang acknowledged a degree of regret in hindsight. Later in 2016, SoftBank’s Vision Fund acquired roughly 5% of NVIDIA shares but sold off the stake in 2019 amid market fluctuations. In 2020, SoftBank aimed to sell ARM to NVIDIA in exchange for an 8% stake in NVIDIA; however, due to opposition from antitrust regulators, the plan was eventually shelved. Son expressed deep regret over these missed opportunities, believing they represented pivotal moments that could have furthered SoftBank’s influence in the AI era.

A Vision for AI: From Personal Assistants to Seamless Integration

The discussion also delved into the future of AI, where Son expressed enthusiasm for AI’s potential. He articulated a vision for “AI personal agents” that would intimately understand a user’s cultural background and personal needs, evolving with the user…