Masayoshi Son’s 2040 AI Vision: $5 Trillion a Year, 3 Terawatts of Power, and a Bet on Fusion

Masayoshi Son delivered a sweeping vision for AI's future on July 14, 2026, sketching out an energy and investment landscape that dwarfs today's global infrastructure. Speaking at SoftBank's annual corporate conference in Tokyo, the SoftBank Group CEO predicted that by 2040, the world will need to spend $5 trillion every year on AI infrastructure, a figure he acknowledged sounds implausible but expressed confidence in. This annual sum is equivalent to about 800 trillion yen.

The audacity of the numbers — including a demand for 3 terawatts (TW) of power for data centers alone — has drawn both attention and skepticism. Here is a fact-checked breakdown of each major claim, sourced from the same day's reporting and earlier official announcements.

The Three Core 2040 Predictions

1. $5 trillion per year in AI infrastructure investment. Son stated that AI development will require $5 trillion in investment annually by 2040. He backed the figure by pointing to the immense value he believes AI will create.

2. 3 terawatts of power generation for AI data centers. Son predicted AI data centers will need approximately 3 TW of power by 2040. Multiple outlets noted this is roughly 1.8 times the total current global power consumption.

3. AI will generate 20% of global GDP. Son forecast that AI would account for about 20% of global GDP by 2040, translating to roughly $46 trillion in value creation. He framed the $5 trillion annual investment as "a negligible cost" in that context.

Dismissal of an AI Bubble

Son has been uncharacteristically direct about industry skepticism. On July 14, he called talk of an AI bubble "absurd" and said those who question AI investment "don't understand AI." In earlier remarks on June 24, 2026, he used even stronger language at SoftBank's annual general meeting, calling bubble talk "blasphemy against AI" and "an insult to AI."

Nuclear Fusion as the Long-Term Energy Solution

Son said nuclear fusion will become "the most realistic solution" for powering AI data centers' ballooning energy needs, though he acknowledged natural gas will provide the bulk of power in the near term. He predicted that fusion technology will eventually meet the enormous electricity demands of AI infrastructure, describing it as "a new kind of cheaper, clean and safe energy here on Earth."

SoftBank's Large-Scale Investments

SoftBank is not just making predictions; it is backing them with concrete projects.

Ohio gas-fired power plant and data center ($33.3 billion). SoftBank subsidiary SB Energy is building a $33.3 billion, 9.2-gigawatt (GW) natural gas-fired power plant in Piketon, Ohio, on U.S. Department of Energy land. The plant will power what Son described as the "world's largest data center," with a 10-GW AI server campus. Son said the project will channel up to $500 billion into a single campus. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick called it "the largest construction project in the country." The U.S. Department of Energy officially announced a public-private partnership, with SB Energy investing $4.2 billion alongside AEP Ohio to upgrade transmission lines.

Part of a $550 billion Japanese U.S. investment commitment. Reports tie the Ohio investment to a broader framework where Japan is set to contribute "over $33 billion" to an extensive trade agreement between Washington and Tokyo. The Ohio project has been framed as a major piece of a roughly $550 billion Japanese investment commitment in U.S. AI infrastructure. However, the exact $550 billion envelope was not prominently featured in the highest-authority sources captured from July 14, 2026, and carries a moderate caveat.

Up to €75 billion for France AI data centers. SoftBank Group is set to invest as much as €75 billion (approximately $87.3 billion) to construct AI data centers in France, leveraging France's strong nuclear-powered electricity supply. This was reported by Nikkei Asia on June 1, 2026, alongside Son's CNBC appearance in Paris.

How Son's Predictions Have Evolved

Son's forecasts have escalated significantly over time. In a Time Magazine interview published in February 2026, he predicted ASI (artificial superintelligence) would drive 10% of global GDP within 10-15 years, rising to 30% over 30 years. In December 2025, he made a similar 10% claim at an investment conference. The July 14, 2026 statements represent a new peak of 20% by 2040.

Summary of Source Quality

• High-confidence (Reuters, DOE, Bloomberg, Nikkei, Japan Times): The $5 trillion/year figure, 3 TW power demand, 20% of GDP claim, bubble dismissal, fusion views, Ohio plant (confirmed by U.S. Energy Department fact sheet), and France investment are well-sourced.
• Moderate caveat on $550 billion figure: While multiple outlets tie the Ohio investment to a broader Japanese commitment, the precise $550 billion envelope was not prominently featured in the highest-authority sources captured.
• Earlier prediction evolution: Son's July 14 statements are his most ambitious yet, escalating from a ~10% GDP contribution within a decade to a 20% contribution by 2040.