After investing $65 billion in Sam Altman’s OpenAl, Japan’s richest man Masayoshi Son is seeking $100 billion to fund other AI projects

SoftBank founder and Japan’s richest person, Masayoshi Son, is seeking up to $100 billion from Gulf investors to set up a new fund designed to buy out traditional businesses and overhaul their operations using artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics, a report has said. SoftBank is facing mounting market scrutiny over its $65 billion commitment to Sam Altman’s OpenAI, especially amid delays surrounding the artificial intelligence startup’s anticipated initial public offering (IPO), the Financial Times reported.Rather than backing early-stage tech ventures, the signature playbook of SoftBank’s earlier investment arms, this proposed vehicle relies on a buyout-focused framework: acquiring established, non-tech firms that have lagged behind in automation and using AI and physical robotics to boost their efficiency and corporate value.