According to The Wall Street Journal report, Son said Arm Holdings is positioned to become one of the world's most important suppliers of central processing units.
- Arm shares have surged about 231% in 2026 so far, but Son believes this is just the beginning.
- He credited Arm’s success to its decision to begin manufacturing its own chips, while also noting that AI computing requirements are shifting toward CPU-centric architectures.
- Son also defended SoftBank’s investment in Intel, touting that the initial $2 billion stake has multiplied in value.
SoftBank Group Corp. (SFTBY) CEO Masayoshi Son on Wednesday praised Arm Holdings (ARM) and Intel Corp. (INTC) during the company’s annual shareholder meeting.
According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, Son said that Arm is positioned to become one of the world's most important suppliers of central processing units (CPUs) due to the shifting needs of AI computing.
Arm shares were up nearly 4% in Wednesday’s pre-market trade, while Intel shares were up around 2%.
Son Sees ARM Valuation Rocketing Over 10X
Son added that he sees Arm’s valuation skyrocketing more than 10 times from its current market capitalization of $391 billion.
Arm shares have surged about 231% in 2026 so far, but Son believes this is just the beginning. He credited Arm’s success to its decision to begin manufacturing its own chips, while also noting that AI computing requirements are shifting toward CPU-centric architectures, away from relying solely on Graphics Processing Units (GPUs).
A 10-fold increase from Arm's current valuation would imply a market capitalization approaching $4 trillion, making Arm one of the most valuable companies in the world.
SoftBank owns an 86.39% stake in Arm through the Vision Fund, after acquiring it in 2016 for $31.4 billion in cash. While SoftBank took Arm private following the acquisition, the U.K.-based chip designer went public again in 2023. Arm’s shares surged 553% since then.
Son Defends SoftBank’s Investment In INTC
Son also defended SoftBank’s investment in Intel, touting that the initial $2 billion stake has multiplied in value. He credited the increase in Intel’s valuation to support from the U.S. government, as well as the chipmaker’s deals with Apple Inc. (AAPL) and Nvidia Corp. (NVDA). “The U.S. has no choice but to strengthen Intel,” he said.
Son also added that Intel’s manufacturing prowess will be increasingly important as tech companies look to diversify away from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSM). He also said that Intel is a national security asset for the U.S.
SoftBank invested $2 billion in Intel in August last year. Since then, Intel’s shares have soared 459%.
Son Bets On Artificial Superintelligence
Son is also betting on artificial superintelligence (ASI), targeting a net asset value of 1,000 trillion yen ($6.189 trillion) for SoftBank over the next decade.
Son touted SoftBank’s focus on becoming a leading robotics company, which he said aligns with the shift towards physical AI. He also said the company plans to scale up the Stargate AI initiative, which includes OpenAI, Oracle Corp. (ORCL), Nvidia, Microsoft, and others.
ARM stock is up 231% year-to-date, while INTC stock is up 258%. The S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) is up 22% over the past 12 months, while the Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) is up 34%.
The iShares Semiconductor ETF (SOXX) is up 166% during this period.
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