SoftBank acquires DigitalBridge in $4B AI data center push

SoftBank Group announced on December 29 it will acquire U.S.-listed digital infrastructure manager DigitalBridge for $16 per share, valuing the deal at about $4 billion. The acquisition, expected to close in the second half of 2026, is framed as a cornerstone of SoftBank’s plan to build out global data center and connectivity capacity for next‑generation AI services.([group.softbank](https://group.softbank/en/news/press/20251229?utm_source=openai))