SoftBank to Buy DigitalBridge for $4B to Power AI Infrastructure Revolution

The acquisition of DigitalBridge by SoftBank signals a crystallization of SoftBank’s strategy to own more of the physical infrastructure needed for the generative AI era. The $16 per share cash offer, representing a meaningful premium over recent trading prices, compensates for DigitalBridge’s strong assets under management—approximately $108 billion as of September 30, 2025—across data centers, connectivity, and edge-focused assets. [1][4][16] SoftBank views this move as critical to build, finance, and scale infrastructure foundational to next-generation AI services. [1]

From a governance and process standpoint, the deal was unanimously recommended by a special committee of independent directors and the full Board of DigitalBridge. This suggests careful valuation, likely with input from fairness opinions or similar, especially given the size of the deal relative to SoftBank’s own portfolio.[4]

Strategically, owning DigitalBridge gives SoftBank an asset management platform that can mobilize both internal resources and external capital to fund large infrastructure capex cycles required by hyperscale AI deployments. It also reduces dependence on public markets for DigitalBridge, easing quarterly earnings pressure and enabling longer-horizon investments. [5]

However, multiple risks and open questions remain: regulatory approvals across jurisdictions could be complex, especially given cross-border infrastructure assets and national security concerns around AI infrastructure; SoftBank must manage capital allocation carefully to avoid overextending amid broader AI investment commitments; and delivering the promised scale (compute, connectivity, and power) requires navigating constraints around energy supply, real estate, permitting, and supply chains. Finally, competition for AI infrastructure is intense, and execution speed will matter.

In valuation terms, while the 15% premium over recent price is respectable, the offer pegs company enterprise value at about $4 billion—including debt—while the market had valued DigitalBridge’s equity previously at less, suggesting that assumptions around future growth, margin improvements, and AI demand are baked into SoftBank’s long-term return expectations. [4][16]

For SoftBank itself, this deal complements its other recent moves: a $5.8 billion divestment in Nvidia shares, large-scale investments in OpenAI, and development of joint AI infrastructure projects like Stargate (with Oracle and others) to build computing capacity of multiple gigawatts. [13][16] The DigitalBridge acquisition strengthens the physical infrastructure side of SoftBank’s ASI strategy. [1]

For DigitalBridge, the acquisition provides access to deeper capital reserves, reduced pressure from public markets, and potential acceleration of deals and deployments. Yet challenges include retaining talent, aligning strategic priorities under a parent with broader AI ambitions, and ensuring operational independence while integrating at strategic level.[5]