Key points:

• SoftBank is Japan’s number one
• Tech investor is worth $290 billion
• AI ambitions are truly expensive

Masa Son is now at the helm of a company worth roughly $290 billion, elbowing out 20-year veteran Toyota.

🤖 AI Mania Crowns New King

• SoftBank Group 9984 has officially become Japan’s largest company by market value, ending a more than 20-year reign by Toyota 7203. Sometimes revolutions arrive with fireworks. Sometimes they arrive with AI chips and investor FOMO.
• SoftBank shares jumped nearly 15% Monday to another all-time high, lifting the company’s market capitalization above ¥46 trillion (roughly $290 billion). The stock is now up nearly 73% in 2026 alone, making even crypto trades look conservative.
• The shift reflects a broader market obsession with artificial intelligence. Investors are increasingly rewarding companies tied to AI infrastructure, semiconductors, and data centers, while traditional industrial giants are finding themselves bumped down the leaderboard.

📈 Nikkei Rides the AI Wave

• Japan’s tech-heavy stock market is having quite the year. The Nikkei 225 surged past 67,000 for the first time ever during Monday trading before settling with a smaller gain. The benchmark is now up nearly 30% since January.
• The broader Topix index was little changed during the session but remains up roughly 13% year to date, underscoring how enthusiasm has spread well beyond a handful of headline names.
• In market jargon, a rally driven by “multiple expansion” means investors are willing to pay increasingly higher prices for future growth. Right now, AI appears to be the growth story everyone wants a ticket to.

🚀 Son Bets Big on Bright Future

• Billionaire founder Masayoshi Son has doubled down on AI ambitions. SoftBank just this weekend pledged up to €75 billion for a network of AI computing clusters in France, adding another giant wager to its already aggressive technology strategy.
• The company’s fortunes are increasingly tied to AI leaders including OpenAI and chip designer Arm. Sentiment cooled in Q4 last year when concerns around OpenAI surfaced, but investors have since returned in force as its IPO plans gained momentum.
• Worth noting, SoftBank unveiled a $100 billion US investment plan in late 2024, including a commitment to create 100,000 jobs. For now, the market seems willing to give Son the benefit of the doubt — and a ¥46 trillion valuation to go with it.

Source: Tradingview