SoftBank’s Son reportedly plans $50 billion for Malaysian AI and data centers

SoftBank Group plans to invest $50 billion in Malaysia’s technology sector, including AI and data centers, according to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim as relayed by Bloomberg and reported by CNBC. SoftBank has not confirmed the figure.

Sites chosen, but no terms published

Per the Bloomberg report, Anwar said on Saturday that SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son had identified locations in Kuching, in the state of Sarawak, and in peninsular Malaysia. He said this followed a video conference between the two earlier in the week. The prime minister described the focus as AI, new technologies and data centers.

The reports do not say over what period the money would be spent, who would supply it, or whether any of it is committed. CNBC says SoftBank did not immediately respond to its request for comment, and we found no SoftBank statement on the $50 billion. Until the company speaks, the figure is a government account of Son’s plans, not a company announcement.

What SoftBank has actually signed

The one documented step is smaller. On October 8, SoftBank, Singapore-based Grab and state-owned Petroleum Sarawak Berhad (PETROS) signed a framework agreement in Kuching, according to SoftBank’s press release. The three companies will explore an AI and digital infrastructure platform in Sarawak and draw up a roadmap for building it in phases.

The release gives each partner a role. SoftBank brings AI infrastructure, advanced computing and semiconductor expertise. Grab brings its Southeast Asian digital ecosystem. PETROS brings energy supply know-how through the Sarawak Gas Roadmap and its role as master developer of the Kuching Low-Carbon Hub. The release states that the agreement does not obligate the companies to enter into definitive agreements, and it lists due diligence, approvals, financing, land and power access among the risks. It names no investment amount.

A crowded field of Malaysian data center money

If the plan goes ahead, it would be larger than any single pledge from the rivals. CNBC lists Google’s $2 billion investment announced in 2024 for its first data center and cloud region in the country, Amazon Web Services’ planned $6.2 billion through 2038, and Microsoft’s $2.2 billion for cloud and AI infrastructure and other digital initiatives.

The Malaysian Investment Development Authority puts data center-related investment at 385.7 billion ringgit ($94 billion) between 2021 and the first half of 2026, CNBC reports. Malaysia wants to be an “AI nation” by 2030 and launched a national AI action plan earlier this year.

Financing is the open question. Our earlier report on Elon Musk’s remarks on debt markets covers how hard it has become for AI data center builders to borrow, which makes the source of SoftBank’s money a detail worth watching.

What would confirm the plan

Three things would show whether the $50 billion is real: a statement from SoftBank itself, definitive agreements following the October framework, and named projects with capacity and power sources at the Kuching and peninsular sites. None exists in the public record yet.