SoftBank Group founder Masayoshi Son has admitted to making a significant financial mistake involving Nvidia. Son recalled the decision to sell the shares of Nvidia in 2019, which was dictated by the SoftBank Vision Fund’s strategy to fix profitability. At that time, the fund sold its entire 4.9% stake in Nvidia for $3.3 billion, after initially investing $700 million, a move that seemed profitable at the time. Information suggests that if SoftBank had retained its stake in Nvidia, it would now be valued at just under $160 billion, as the market capitalization of the AI chip manufacturer is currently around $3.09 trillion.
Despite this missed opportunity, Son highlighted SoftBank’s successes, including a lucrative $20 million investment in Alibaba that generated returns in the tens of billions. Arm, the British chip manufacturer acquired by SoftBank in 2016, also remains a key investment with a market value of $168 billion according to the latest estimate.