SoftBank (9984) to Invest €75 Billion in AI Infrastructure in France

SoftBank Group (9984) plans to invest 75 billion euros ($89 billion) over five years to develop AI infrastructure in France, with 45 billion euros allocated for building capacity in the region. The project aims to deploy 5 GW of AI data center capacity, starting with 3.1 GW in Hauts-de-France by 2031. This investment highlights SoftBank's strategy to capitalize on the growing demand for AI infrastructure, attributed to its stake in Arm Holdings and investments in OpenAI. The company has seen its shares rise over 70% in 2026, bolstered by expectations of significant returns from its AI investments.