SoftBank (9984.T) to Invest €45 Billion in France AI Infrastructure

SoftBank Group founder Masayoshi Son said the Japanese conglomerate will invest €45 billion over five years to build artificial intelligence data centers in France, with total investment in the country eventually reaching €75 billion. The formal announcement is set for June 1, 2026, at the Choose France business conference, according to an interview published May 30. Two sites in the Hauts-de-France region — at Le Bosquel and Dunkirk — are expected to come online in 2028 and 2031, providing more than 5 gigawatts of combined computing capacity. Son cited France’s status as a net energy exporter as a decisive factor for AI infrastructure investments. The move adds to SoftBank’s global AI spending spree, including a reported over $30 billion stake in OpenAI for an 11% holding.