SoftBank’s Masayoshi Son Discusses Multibillion-Dollar AI Data Center Project with French President Macron
May 11, 2026
SoftBank’s Masayoshi Son Discusses Multibillion-Dollar AI Data Center Project with French President Macron
SoftBank Group founder Masayoshi Son has held direct talks with French President Emmanuel Macron regarding a major artificial intelligence data center project in France, signaling the country’s ambition to become a leading hub for AI infrastructure outside the United States and China. The potential investment, which Son has floated at as high as $100 billion, would mark one of the largest single AI infrastructure bets by the Japanese conglomerate, though the final size remains uncertain and could shift depending on SoftBank’s other global priorities.
The discussions, first reported by Bloomberg, emerged after Macron proposed the project during a recent meeting with Son in Tokyo. The French head of state’s direct approach reportedly captured Son’s interest as governments worldwide compete to secure data center investment and computational capacity for domestic AI development. According to Reuters, the project could be unveiled in the coming weeks, potentially during the Choose France Summit, Macron’s annual event designed to attract foreign investment.
The talks align with Macron’s broader push for sovereign AI, a strategy focused on building AI infrastructure independent of US and Chinese dominance while supporting local players such as Mistral AI. France has also promoted its nuclear power supply and robust energy grid as key advantages for data center development, offering a stable and low-carbon energy source that is increasingly attractive to tech giants.
SoftBank’s potential France project adds to Son’s growing list of AI infrastructure commitments. The company is already a key participant in Stargate, a $500 billion AI data center initiative in partnership with OpenAI, Oracle, and Abu Dhabi’s MGX. OpenAI said last year that Stargate had reached nearly 7 gigawatts of planned capacity and secured more than $400 billion in investment over the next three years. Additionally, SoftBank is pursuing a large AI data center project in Ohio; Reuters reported in March that SoftBank and American Electric Power (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 now discussing a lower target of about $6 billion. This development highlights the financial complexities of funding such massive infrastructure projects, even for a firm with SoftBank’s deep pockets.
Source: cryptobriefing
