‘I Regret It’: Nvidia’s Jensen Huang Reflects on Turning Down SoftBank’s Offer to Him to Fully Acquire Tech Company

Last Updated:November 13, 2024, 17:30 IST

Seeing the promise in Nvidia and the way forward for AI, Masayoshi Son supplied to lend Jensen Huang the cash wanted to accumulate the corporate outright.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has expressed his remorse over declining a proposal from SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son to assist him finance a full acquisition of Nvidia almost 10 years in the past. Speaking on the Nvidia AI Summit in Japan on November 13, Huang mirrored on the missed alternative throughout a hearth chat with Son, who was SoftBank’s chairman and CEO.

“Masa (Masayoshi) stated, ‘Jensen, the market doesn’t perceive the worth of Nvidia. Your future is unimaginable, however the market doesn’t get it,'” Huang said. Seeing the promise in Nvidia and the future of AI, Son offered to lend Huang the money needed to acquire the company outright.

Laughing about the moment, he admitted, “Now I regret it,” as the 2 executives shared a lighthearted change.

At the time of Son’s provide, SoftBank held a 5 per cent stake in Nvidia, recognising its future potential within the rising discipline of synthetic intelligence (AI). Son ultimately bought the stake — then value lower than $4 billion — amid market pressures. Today, that very same shareholding could be valued at round $160 billion, making it a exceptional missed alternative even by SoftBank’s personal requirements, the place Son’s investments have sometimes generated huge returns, together with in Alibaba.

The dialog additionally highlighted Nvidia and SoftBank’s plans to collaborate on constructing Japan’s first AI infrastructure. The partnership will convey collectively Japan’s cloud chief SoftBank Corp, alongside different expertise gamers corresponding to GMO Internet Group, Highreso, KDDI, Rutilea, and SAKURA Internet, to rework industries together with robotics, healthcare, automotive, and telecom throughout Japan.