DigitalBridge Group’s $108 billion portfolio is coming under SoftBank Group control following a $4 billion acquisition deal, both companies confirmed. The transaction represents billionaire Masayoshi Son’s successful capture of one of the world’s largest digital infrastructure portfolios to support artificial intelligence development.
Through this deal, SoftBank gains control over digital infrastructure assets providing essential computing, storage, and networking capabilities for AI applications. Son has been systematically building SoftBank’s control over artificial intelligence infrastructure, viewing portfolio scale as critical to market influence. The extraordinary demand for computing resources to power AI systems makes controlling large portfolios strategically valuable, which DigitalBridge’s substantial holdings deliver.
DigitalBridge’s controlled portfolio encompasses critical digital infrastructure including datacenters, cell tower networks, fiber systems, small-cell infrastructure, and edge computing facilities. Holdings include prominent companies like Vantage Data Centers, Zayo, Switch, and AtlasEdge. The firm’s evolution from its 1991 founding as Colony Capital, a real estate investment company, to controlling today’s digital infrastructure portfolio occurred under CEO Marc Ganzi, who led the transformation away from traditional property investments and the 2021 rebrand.
Under SoftBank’s control, Ganzi will continue as CEO with DigitalBridge operating as a separately managed platform. The scale coming under control is substantial: DigitalBridge managed approximately $108 billion in assets as of September 30, ranking it among the largest institutional investors focused exclusively on digital infrastructure. This gives SoftBank control over a portfolio that significantly influences AI infrastructure markets.
SoftBank’s control strategy in AI infrastructure extends to other initiatives. The company is a key participant in the Stargate project, collaborating with OpenAI, Oracle, and MGX, a technology investor based in Abu Dhabi. This ambitious effort involves billions of dollars in investments to build large-scale computing infrastructure purpose-built for advanced AI development. The project includes plans for five computing facilities in Texas, New Mexico, and Ohio with a total power capacity of approximately 7 gigawatts.
