Son made a similar promise in 2016 to invest $50bn during Trump’s first term. How SoftBank will finance this larger pledge remains uncertain.
President-elect Donald Trump, standing beside SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son, announced a $100bn investment by the company in the US over the next four years—a move expected to boost the American economy.
During their joint appearance on Monday, Trump said the funds would create 100,000 jobs focused on artificial intelligence (AI) and supporting infrastructure, to be deployed by the end of his upcoming term.
Trump called the deal proof of “immense faith in America’s future” and jokingly urged Son to double the investment. Son replied he would consider it.
The announcement, made at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, aligns with Trump’s efforts to grow the US economy and curb inflation during his second term, which begins on January 20.
Trump praised Son as “one of the greatest business minds of our generation.”
Monday’s pledge mirrors one Son made with Trump in 2016 at Trump Tower in New York, promising to invest $50bn and create 50,000 jobs.
While the $50bn was eventually invested, it is unclear if the promised jobs were realized. SoftBank has since worked to recover from financial setbacks, including the collapse of WeWork and losses in its Vision Fund investments.
Funding source unclear
Trump has long favored big investment announcements that suggest job growth, though results sometimes fall short. For example, a $10bn Foxconn factory project in Wisconsin was largely abandoned after major publicity early in Trump’s first term.
How SoftBank will fund this latest $100bn pledge is unclear. As of September 30, it had about $29bn in cash, according to its earnings report. After struggling between 2021 and 2023, its stock has rebounded nearly 50 percent this year.
Funds may come from SoftBank’s Vision Fund, its capital assets, or chipmaker Arm Holdings, according to CNBC.
Son, a strong AI advocate, has been increasing SoftBank’s presence in the field, investing in OpenAI and buying chip firm Graphcore.
In October, he again expressed belief in artificial super-intelligence, saying it would take hundreds of billions in funding.
At that time, Son said he was saving cash for “the next major leap,” but gave no details.
Trump also recently pledged to offer streamlined permits to firms investing $1bn or more in the US.
