- SoftBank agreed to buy DigitalBridge for about $4.0B enterprise value, paying $16.00 per share in cash.
- The offer implies a 15% premium to the Dec. 26, 2025 close and roughly a 50% premium to the prior 52-week unaffected average.
- DigitalBridge (~$108B AUM in data centers, towers, fiber, and edge) will remain a separately managed platform led by CEO Marc Ganzi.
- Expected to close in H2 2026 pending approvals, the deal supports SoftBank’s push into AI infrastructure alongside capital shifts such as its Nvidia share sale.
Read More
The acquisition of DigitalBridge by SoftBank marks a strategic pivot toward infrastructure-driven AI power: the physical underpinnings of compute, connectivity, and power capabilities are increasingly viewed as critical levers in the AI arms race. By paying US$16 per share (≈US$4.0 billion enterprise value), SoftBank not only gains a diversified portfolio of data centers, towers, fiber and edge infrastructure but also obtains a leader managing over US$100 billion in assets (excluding debt) who has existing relationships with hyperscalers, fiber operators and tower companies.
The premium paid—15% over recent share price and ~50% over the 52-week average—underscores both the urgency with which SoftBank views this acquisition for its broader “ASI” (Artificial Super Intelligence) ambition, and the attractiveness of DigitalBridge as a strategic asset buyer in digital infrastructure. The timeline (to close in H2 2026) provides room for regulatory objections, particularly under evolving scrutiny of AI-critical infrastructure, both domestically and internationally.
Operationally, the decision to keep DigitalBridge a separately managed platform under CEO Marc Ganzi is significant: it suggests SoftBank wants to preserve DBRG’s culture, portfolio management, and service relationships, minimizing disruptions. Given DBRG’s footprint in hyperscale, edge and fiber, SoftBank is likely aiming for deeper integration where strengths align, particularly in data center capacity and connectivity networks foundational to AI workloads.
Financially, the purchase price appears modest relative to DBRG’s assets under management (≈US$108 billion), but enterprise value includes debt and liabilities. The multiples implied are lower than those seen in past high-growth infrastructure deals, possibly due to recent market pressures (rising rates, inflation, regulatory risk). SoftBank’s own liquidity and willingness to divest non-core holdings (e.g. its stake in Nvidia) reflect this backdrop.
Strategic risks and open questions remain: regulatory risk (antitrust, foreign investment review), the ability to execute seamless integration in power‐intensive infrastructure, managing operational carbon intensity in data centers; and how competing players—private equity, hyperscalers—may respond under pressure to vertically integrate infrastructure. Additionally, how SoftBank balances leverage and capital allocation in financing the deal will be crucial, especially given its vast investment pipeline in AI, robotics, and compute hardware.
Supporting Notes
- SoftBank Group has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire DigitalBridge for approximately US$4.0 billion, acquiring all outstanding common stock at US$16.00 per share in cash.
- The US$16.00 per share price represents a 15% premium over DigitalBridge’s closing share price on December 26, 2025, and ~50% over its 52-week‐unaffected average as of early December.
- DigitalBridge manages about US$108 billion in digital infrastructure assets, including data centres, cell towers, fiber networks, and edge infrastructure.
- After closing, DigitalBridge will continue operating as a separately managed platform headed by CEO Marc Ganzi; the deal is expected to close in H2 2026 pending regulatory approvals.
- SoftBank’s CEO, Masayoshi Son, stated that acquiring DigitalBridge will strengthen infrastructure for AI at scale and advance their “ASI platform provider” vision; DigitalBridge’s CEO, Marc Ganzi, emphasized the shared long-term investor outlook and ability to serve leading technology companies as they scale AI.
- SoftBank recently sold nearly US$5.8 billion in NVIDIA stock to reallocate capital toward OpenAI, showcasing the shifting investment focus toward AI infrastructure.