Masayoshi Son's 2026 AGM: AI Is Not a Bubble, SoftBank Aims for $6.2 Trillion, and He's Not Retiring

At SoftBank's 46th Annual General Meeting of Shareholders on June 24, 2026, founder and CEO Masayoshi Son delivered a characteristically bold vision for the company's future, centered entirely on artificial superintelligence (ASI). Here are the key announcements and commitments, fact-checked against primary news reports and the company's own filings.

AI as a Bubble: 'Blasphemy' and 'an Insult'

Son did not mince words when asked about fears of an AI bubble. He called the suggestion "an insult to AI" and "blasphemy," drawing a parallel to early skeptics who dismissed the internet . "I believe it's an affront to AI if you claim it's a bubble," Son told shareholders . In earlier remarks to CNBC and the Wall Street Journal, he framed the AI revolution not as a bubble but as "evolution" — arguing that once evolution takes place, it does not revert . The AI world, he said, has only been "substantively underway for three years" .

A $6.2 Trillion Net Asset Value Target

Son set a new net asset value (NAV) target of ¥1,000 trillion (approximately $6.2–$6.189 trillion) for SoftBank over the next 10 years (some reports also reference a 16-year horizon) . The current NAV is around ¥74 trillion . Son acknowledged the ambition of the goal but said SoftBank has consistently proven its ability to create value . The WSJ and Morningstar reported the target as $6.189 trillion , while Korea's MK and other outlets referenced the ¥1,000 trillion figure directly . These are the same target expressed in different currencies. The target is built entirely on the promise of artificial superintelligence (ASI) .

Four Domains for Global Leadership

Son outlined four specific domains where SoftBank aims to achieve global leadership, framing the company's ambition to be No. 1 globally in ASI :

1. Artificial Superintelligence (ASI) — becoming the world's preeminent player in the coming age of ASI
2. AI data centers and infrastructure — massive investments in chips and computing power
3. Autonomous driving and robotics
4. AI-powered semiconductor design — including Arm

Reports consistently describe Son framing SoftBank's ambition to be the world leader in these four areas .

$64.6 Billion Total Investment in OpenAI by October 2026

SoftBank's projected total investment in OpenAI is $64.6 billion by October 2026, giving it approximately a 13% stake in the company . This includes:

• An initial ~$30+ billion already deployed
• A $30 billion follow-on commitment from OpenAI's March 2026 funding round
• Additional earlier tranches totaling roughly $22.5 billion

Son confirmed during the AGM that SoftBank's cumulative OpenAI investment will reach $64.6 billion by October . The company's own press release from February 27, 2026, confirmed that upon completion of the follow-on investment, SoftBank's cumulative investment would total USD 64.6 billion, representing an ownership interest of approximately 13% .

No Retirement: Son Plans to Stay for ASI

Son, now 68 years old, told shareholders he is abandoning his previous goal of retiring in his sixties . He said he intends to stay at the helm for at least another 10 years (or "10 to 15 years") to lead the drive toward artificial superintelligence .

His exact framing: he has become "greedier" and wants to dedicate himself to the quest for ASI . The Nikkei and other outlets report Son expressed his desire to devote "10 or 15 years" to the pursuit of superintelligence, explicitly tying his extended tenure to achieving that goal . "Everything SoftBank Group has done until now has all been a warm-up for my great dream to realize artificial superintelligence," he told shareholders . Son also indicated that his successor should emerge through internal competition, not be hired from outside .