（Singapore, 19.09.2025）SoftBank Group Corp.’s Vision Fund is planning to reduce its workforce by as much as 20% as part of a significant organizational restructuring. The move is designed to better align the company with founder and CEO Masayoshi Son’s increasingly ambitious and high-stakes vision for artificial intelligence (AI).
According to a memo seen by Reuters and a source familiar with the matter, the planned cuts will affect more than 50 roles from the Vision Fund’s team of about 282 employees.
This latest round of layoffs is distinct from previous reductions in 2022, which were a direct response to massive financial losses. This time, the restructuring follows the fund’s strongest quarterly performance since June 2021, driven by gains in holdings like Nvidia and Coupang. This distinction underscores that the layoffs are a strategic realignment, not a cost-cutting measure.
A Strategic Shift, Not a Sign of Weakness
The narrative surrounding these job cuts is fundamentally different from SoftBank’s past. While the 2022 layoffs were a story of retreat and de-risking following a series of failed bets, most notably with WeWork, this new round signals a proactive and deliberate transformation. The Vision Fund is shedding its sprawling venture capital model in favor of a concentrated, high-risk, high-reward approach.
Masayoshi Son’s new strategy doesn’t require a large army of investment advisors to manage a diverse range of deals. Instead, the focus has shifted to a handful of monumental, capital-intensive bets on the future of AI. The old way of operating—casting a wide net for promising startups—is being replaced by a focus on building the foundational infrastructure of the AI world itself. The roles being eliminated are those tied to the old model, a painful consequence of SoftBank’s pivot from a generalist fund to a specialized AI powerhouse.
A Vision Fund spokesperson confirmed the impending job reductions, stating in an email: “We continually adjust the organization to best execute our long-term strategy—making bold, high-conviction investments in AI and breakthrough technologies, and creating long-term value for our stakeholders.”
The Grand Vision Behind the Cuts
The reason for these layoffs lies in the sheer scale of Son’s new vision. He’s no longer content with simply funding companies; he wants to build the ecosystem that will power the next technological revolution. This includes a potential multi-billion-dollar investment in OpenAI and the staggering $500 billion “Stargate” initiative to create a vast network of AI data centers across the United States.
Beyond that, Son is reportedly pursuing a separate $1 trillion project to build an AI industrial park, seeking partnership from a company as significant as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC).
These are not typical venture capital deals; they are monumental infrastructure projects that demand a different kind of strategic focus and financial muscle. To support these undertakings, SoftBank has been selling off key assets to secure the necessary cash. The company’s focus has shifted to its crown jewel, chip designer Arm, and strategic stakes in other tech giants like Intel and Nvidia.
The layoffs are a direct consequence of this shift. Jobs focused on due diligence for a diverse portfolio are now deemed surplus to requirements. The remaining team members will be focused on executing these unprecedentedly large-scale, high-conviction investments. It’s a winnowing of the workforce to reflect a narrowing of the company’s focus.
For the people affected, this strategic realignment is a painful transition. But for SoftBank, it represents the tangible shedding of a past that no longer aligns with the future Masayoshi Son is determined to build, no matter the cost.
