SoftBank Explored $100B Marvell Takeover to Bolster AI Chip Dominance
SoftBank Group quietly considered a seismic $80–100 billion acquisition of Marvell Technology earlier this year, aiming to merge the chipmaker with its Arm Holdings subsidiary. The aborted deal would have created an AI hardware powerhouse capable of challenging Nvidia and Broadcom.
The Japanese conglomerate's exploration reflects Masayoshi Son's aggressive pivot toward artificial intelligence infrastructure. Marvell's custom chips for cloud giants like Amazon and Microsoft could have complemented Arm's designs in data center processors.
While discussions stalled months ago, industry observers note SoftBank may revive the strategy as the AI arms race intensifies. The potential tie-up underscores how semiconductor consolidation is becoming a key battleground for AI supremacy.
