Masayoshi Son is making another very large bet. The SoftBank founder has entered discussions with French President Emmanuel Macron about building what would become Europe’s largest AI facility, with an investment potentially reaching $100 billion, or roughly €90 billion.

The proposed project would span AI data centers and potentially include Arm-based semiconductor fabrication capabilities.

What we know so far

The discussions were initiated on May 11, with Macron reportedly suggesting the idea during a meeting with Son in Tokyo. The project is expected to receive a formal announcement in the coming weeks, possibly at the upcoming Choose France Summit, an annual event designed to attract foreign tech investment into France.

No formal commitment at the €75 billion level has been documented. The talks remain fluid, and the final investment figure could shift significantly as negotiations progress.

SoftBank can credibly make promises at this scale. The company recently reported annual net profit that quadrupled to over $32 billion, driven largely by its AI-related investments.

The bigger picture for Europe’s AI race

France, under Macron, has been the most aggressive European nation in courting tech investment. The Choose France Summit has historically served as a stage for headline-grabbing investment pledges. Son’s proposal would be the largest single pledge in the event’s history if it holds.

France does bring some genuine advantages to the table. Its electricity grid is heavily nuclear-powered, which means lower carbon intensity for energy-hungry data centers.

What this means for investors

The semiconductor angle is particularly worth watching. If the facility includes Arm-based chip fabrication, it would mark a significant step toward reducing Europe’s dependence on Asian semiconductor supply chains — a strategic priority that European governments have been willing to subsidize heavily, which could mean public co-investment that sweetens the economics for SoftBank.