Masayoshi Son, the visionary leader of SoftBank Group, is steering his empire toward a radical transformation that positions the firm as a cornerstone of the global artificial intelligence infrastructure. SoftBank has officially announced the launch of a high-performance computing (HPC) sales business in the United States, operated through a newly formed entity named 'SB Neo.' This joint venture, split between the parent holding company and its domestic telecom arm, SoftBank Corp, signals a pivot from mere capital investment to the ownership and operation of the 'physical layer' of the AI revolution.
The scale of Son’s ambition is reflected in the project’s massive physical footprint. Centered in Piketon, Ohio, SoftBank is developing a data center campus with a projected capacity of 10 gigawatts by 2030—a figure comparable to the energy consumption of 7.5 million homes. This 'Gigacity' is being built with a staggering $500 billion investment roadmap, underpinned by a $33 billion natural gas power plant to ensure the energy independence required to run the next generation of AI workloads.
Financial projections for the venture are equally audacious. Insiders suggest that by providing cloud-based compute services to the U.S. market, SoftBank Corp’s annual operating profit could triple or quadruple, potentially reaching up to 4 trillion yen (approximately $25 billion). This move is being described internally as the 'second founding' of the company, marking its evolution from a traditional mobile carrier into a global computing utility provider.
SoftBank’s strategic advantage lies in its vertical integration and proximity to the industry's leaders. As a major shareholder in OpenAI, SoftBank is positioning SB Neo to be the preferred infrastructure partner for the world’s most advanced AI models. Furthermore, by leveraging its subsidiary SB Energy to secure turbines and power infrastructure during a global shortage, SoftBank is addressing the single largest bottleneck in AI development: the availability of reliable, high-density power.