Masayoshi Son, chairman and chief executive officer of SoftBank Group Corp., speaks during the SoftBank World event in Tokyo, Japan, on Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024. Son sketched out one of the most aggressive timelines for the adoption of artificial intelligence yet, envisioning a near future where the technology would run entire households. Photographer: Kiyoshi Ota/Bloomberg

SoftBank’s Masayoshi Son discusses multibillion-dollar AI data center project with Macron

The deal, potentially approaching $100 billion, would mark another massive AI infrastructure bet from SoftBank's founder as France courts global tech investment.

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Add us on Google by Editorial Team May. 11, 2026

SoftBank Group founder Masayoshi Son has held talks with French President Emmanuel Macron about a major AI data center project in France, as the country pushes to become a larger hub for artificial intelligence infrastructure.

The potential investment could be worth several billion dollars, with Son floating a figure as high as $100 billion, according to Bloomberg. The final size of the project remains uncertain and could change depending on SoftBank’s other AI infrastructure priorities.

Reuters also reported that the project could be unveiled in the coming weeks, potentially during the Choose France Summit, Macron’s annual event aimed at attracting foreign investment.

Macron proposed the AI project during a recent meeting with Son in Tokyo, Bloomberg reported. The direct approach from France’s head of state reportedly drew Son’s interest as governments compete to secure data center investment and compute capacity for domestic AI development.

The talks fit Macron’s broader push for sovereign AI, a strategy focused on building AI infrastructure outside the US and China while supporting local players such as Mistral AI. France has also promoted its nuclear power supply and energy grid as advantages for data center development.

SoftBank’s possible France project would add to Son’s growing list of AI infrastructure commitments. The company is also part of Stargate, a $500 billion AI data center initiative with OpenAI, Oracle, and Abu Dhabi’s MGX.

OpenAI said last year that Stargate had reached nearly 7 gigawatts of planned capacity and more than $400 billion in investment over the next three years.

SoftBank is also pursuing a large AI data center project in Ohio. Reuters reported in March that SoftBank and AEP announced a public private partnership tied to a 10 gigawatt AI facility powered by a 9.2 gigawatt gas plant in Pike County, Ohio.

The scale of Son’s AI ambitions has raised questions about financing. Bloomberg reported that SoftBank recently reduced plans for a $10 billion margin loan backed by its OpenAI stake after facing hesitation from some creditors, with bankers discussing a lower target of about $6 billion.

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