The son of SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son is making pitches to Taiwanese semiconductor companies to establish a massive $1 trillion robotics and artificial intelligence complex in the United States.
This extensive robotics facility will be located in Arizona, resembling the manufacturing hubs found in Shenzhen, China, which might help reinvigorate domestic manufacturing in the U.S., according to sources cited by Bloomberg.
This initiative comes at a time when President Trump has been advocating for efforts to bring manufacturing back to the U.S., especially in high-tech sectors and automotive industries.
His son aims to secure a $165 billion investment for TSMC projects and has already launched his first plant in Arizona as a partner.
However, it’s still unclear how involved his son is with Taiwanese chipmakers producing Nvidia’s high-end chips, or if they’re even interested in this new project.
TSMC has not provided any comments on the matter.
Referred to as “Project Crystal Land,” this venture seems to not only target advancements in artificial intelligence but also to solidify a legacy, given that his son often reflects on his past successes and isn’t one to take a middle ground, as sources have noted.
For the ambitious facilities to succeed, support from the Trump administration appears essential.
Officials from SoftBank have been in talks with federal and state representatives, including Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, to explore potential tax credits for businesses that invest in factories or complexes.
His son is also engaging with major tech firms, such as Samsung in Korea, as prospective investors.
Responses from SoftBank, Samsung, and the White House were not immediately available.
Moreover, his son’s company has invested substantially in OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, and has recently led a $40 billion funding round for a company led by Sam Altman, as he seeks to gather hundreds of billions for large U.S. data centers.
These data centers are crucial for the artificial intelligence sector, as they demand significant power and extensive storage capabilities.
According to reports, SoftBank’s efforts concerning the Arizona complex may indicate that the process of generating funding alongside OpenAI is progressing more slowly than intended.
His son has also compiled a list of potential companies to collaborate with Arizona’s manufacturing facilities, including Automation Company Agile Robots SE, as per sources.
Meanwhile, SoftBank is investigating financing options for the Stargate project, which includes a $500 billion initiative to develop data centers in partnership with OpenAI and Oracle.
This financing strategy might enable SoftBank to raise funds for individual projects rather than disbursing large sums in advance. According to Bloomberg, a similar approach could apply to Project Crystal Land.
These plans remain in the early stages and are subject to change, as sources pointed out.
