SoftBank Group founder Masayoshi Son has held talks with French President Emmanuel Macron on an ambitious AI data center project in France, according to reports published on 2026-05-12. [1, 2]
The project is part of SoftBank’s wider push to build artificial intelligence infrastructure, and the reports describe it as a major technology investment in France. [1, 2]
The proposed spending is said to be multibillion-dollar, with one source putting the figure at as much as US$100 billion. One report said Son has floated the idea of investing up to US$100 billion in France, while another described the plan as a high-level US$100 billion investment in French AI infrastructure. [1, 2]
Macron first raised the AI idea during a recent meeting with Son in Tokyo, according to one of the reports. [1]
The sources said the plan could be unveiled in the coming weeks, with one saying it could come as soon as this month and another saying a formal announcement could be made at the Choose France Summit. [1, 2]
