SoftBank Group saw its share price soar in 2026 and placed its founder at the top of Ásia’s list of billionaires. Sun Zhengyi, 68 years old, now has 970 billion dollars, equivalent to about 15.5 trillion yen. The advance came mainly from the appreciation of the company’s shares, driven by investments in artificial intelligence.
The Japanese company surpassed Toyota in market value at Estados Unidos on June 1st. Seu total value reached 2980 billion dollars, or approximately 47.7 trillion yen. The performance reflects the market’s optimism with Sun’s bets on advanced technology companies.
Sun Zhengyi surpasses Mukesh Ambani on Ásia’s richest list
The Japanese businessman left behind the Indian Mukesh Ambani, president of Reliance Industries, who held around 900 billion dollars. The majority of Sun’s wealth comes from the shares he holds in SoftBank. The calculation is made by Forbes itself, which updates the ranking of billionaires in real time.
The rise in SoftBank shares exceeds 80% for the year. Analistas attribute the movement to the enthusiasm around projects linked to artificial intelligence. The executive has publicly argued that the AI revolution could generate opportunities up to 50 times greater than those seen in the internet era in the 2000s.
Investimentos on Arm and OpenAI support holding’s rally
One of the main levers is Arm Holdings, a British semiconductor company listed on Nasdaq. SoftBank controls around 90% of the shares. The company has already risen more than 250% this year and has revised its chip sales target upwards. Executivos predict that annual revenue could reach $250 billion in about five years, six times the 2025 level.
Outra’s important bet is OpenAI, creator of ChatGPT. SoftBank has committed more than $300 billion to the project. The American startup received investments from giants such as Amazon and Nvidia and reached a valuation of 8520 billion dollars in March. Investidores bet that the value could rise even further.
- Arm revised target of $150 billion in semiconductor sales
- OpenAI raised $1220 billion in recent rounds
- SoftBank plans to invest up to an additional $200 billion in OpenAI by October
- Holding company’s Leverage fell to 17% in the last quarter
Anúncio makes a major contribution to AI infrastructure at França
On the eve of the interview with CNBC, Sun Zhengyi revealed plans to invest up to 750 billion euros, around 870 billion dollars, in data centers and other artificial intelligence structures on French territory. The move reinforces the company’s global expansion strategy in a rapidly growing sector.
Especialistas closely monitors the performance of these assets. Dan Baker, senior analyst at Morningstar, points to Arm as the main driver of SoftBank’s recent appreciation. The optimism also extends to the possible future appreciation of OpenAI, which competes for space with rivals such as Anthropic.
Financial Equilíbrio maintains discipline despite big bets
Apesar due to the accelerated pace of investments, SoftBank has reduced its leverage level. The indicator fell from 18% to 17% in the fourth quarter, below the internal limit of 25%. The measure seeks to avoid the problems that large debts caused in the past.
Peter Milliken, analyst at Deutsche Bank, recognizes recent gains, but warns of risks. OpenAI faces stiff competition from Anthropic, which surpassed its valuation in a recent round. Cheaper open source Modelos may also limit revenue growth of market leaders.
The market continues to monitor SoftBank’s next steps. The company navigates an environment of strong demand for artificial intelligence technologies, but with competitive and valuation challenges that require constant attention.