- SoftBank agreed to buy DigitalBridge for about $4B in cash at $16 per share, a roughly 15% premium to the prior close.
- The deal is expected to close in 2H 2026 pending regulatory and shareholder approvals, with CEO Marc Ganzi continuing to run DigitalBridge as a separate platform.
- DigitalBridge’s ~$108B AUM portfolio across data centers, fiber, towers and edge assets supports SoftBank’s “physical AI” infrastructure strategy.
- The all-cash price sets a valuation floor and limits upside unless a higher bid or deal-related developments emerge.
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The acquisition of DigitalBridge by SoftBank is more than a financial transaction—it represents a strategic inflection point in the infrastructure race supporting large-scale AI deployment. By bringing DigitalBridge under its umbrella, SoftBank is securing ownership of critical physical infrastructure—data centers, power, fiber connectivity, towers, and edge real estate—that serve as foundations for scalable AI training, inference, and services. This
Supporting Notes
- SoftBank will acquire DigitalBridge for ~US$4.0B, paying US$16.00/share in cash; transaction unanimously approved by a special committee of independent directors and the full board.
- The US$16.00 price per share represents a 15% premium to DigitalBridge’s closing share price on December 26, 2025, and about 50% above its unaffected 52-week average as of December 4, 2025.
- DigitalBridge manages approximately US$108 billion in assets under management, with its portfolio spanning data centers, fiber networks, towers, small cells, and edge infrastructure serving global markets.
- The deal is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals and shareholder votes, and is expected to close in the second half of 2026.
- DigitalBridge will operate as a separately managed platform under its existing leadership (CEO Marc Ganzi) post-acquisition. Headquarters in Boca Raton, Florida, remain.
- SoftBank’s motivation ties directly to its “physical AI” strategy: to build and scale compute, connectivity, power and infrastructure, including its OpenAI investments, its stake in Nvidia being sold (~US$5.8B), and its involvement in projects like Stargate.
- The $16 price per share establishes a valuation floor for DigitalBridge stock; absent competing bids or regulatory changes, the upside for public shareholders is limited once the deal is locked in.
- Risks include regulatory friction (antitrust, foreign investment reviews), execution risks amid macroeconomic headwinds, and capex, power, permitting constraints typical for infrastructure scaling.