SoftBank shares fall after it completes $30 billion OpenAI investment

SoftBank Group finished the last tranche of its $30 billion investment in OpenAI, the ChatGPT maker, marking the completion of one of the largest bets any company has placed on artificial intelligence. Instead of rallying on the news, SoftBank shares slid in Tokyo trading. The drop suggests investors are growing wary of how much capital SoftBank has committed to a single, unprofitable AI venture, even as OpenAI's valuation has climbed. The size of the stake ties SoftBank's fortunes closely to OpenAI's future revenue and to the broader AI spending cycle that has driven much of this year's tech rally. What remains unresolved is whether the selloff reflects a one-day reaction to the deal's completion or a longer-term concern about SoftBank's balance sheet exposure to AI. The company has not detailed how it plans to fund further AI commitments beyond this tranche.