SoftBank Seeks Up to $100B From Gulf Investors for New AI-Driven Buyout Fund

The FT reports SoftBank's Masayoshi Son is sounding out UAE and other Gulf investors for up to $100B toward a new fund that would acquire companies outright and reshape their operations with AI. The push follows SoftBank's $64.6B OpenAI stake and $11.1B high-yield bond raise, with the company reportedly nearing its debt capacity ahead of OpenAI's 2027 IPO.