Sun Hung Kai Group of Japan recently announced an important acquisition agreement, acquiring data center investment company DigitalBridge for $4 billion. This transaction is seen as a key move in SoftBank's strategy in the artificial intelligence field and has received unanimous approval from the special committee of the DigitalBridge board.
According to the agreement, SoftBank will acquire all of DigitalBridge's outstanding common shares at a cash price of $16 per share. Notably, this acquisition price represents a 15% premium over DigitalBridge's closing price on December 26 of last year. SoftBank expects the transaction to be completed in the second half of next year.
SoftBank Group CEO and Chairman Masayoshi Son stated in a statement that this acquisition will lay the foundation for the development of next-generation artificial intelligence data centers, driving the company toward its goal of becoming a leading "super artificial intelligence" platform provider. He emphasized that as artificial intelligence is reshaping all industries, the demand for computing power, network connectivity, electricity supply, and scalable infrastructure has become increasingly urgent.
Following this news, DigitalBridge's stock rose by about 10% on the day. In the rumor of the transaction being close to completion, the company's stock had once surged by 50%. Mark Ghanem, CEO of DigitalBridge, said that building artificial intelligence infrastructure is one of the most important investment opportunities today. He added that SoftBank's vision, strong capital, and global resources will give DigitalBridge more flexibility in accelerating its mission, enabling it to better serve top global technology companies and help them scale their efforts in the field of artificial intelligence.
Notably, SoftBank recently sold all of its shares in U.S. chipmaker NVIDIA for $5.83 billion to free up funds for investment in OpenAI. According to information on DigitalBridge's official website, as of the end of September this year, the company's managed assets amounted to approximately $108 billion.
Key points:
🌟 SoftBank acquires DigitalBridge for $4 billion, strengthening its position in the artificial intelligence field.
📈 Acquisition price of $16 per share, a 15% premium over last year's stock price, expected to be completed in the second half of next year.
⚡ DigitalBridge CEO says that artificial intelligence infrastructure is an important investment opportunity, and SoftBank's resources will help its development.
