SoftBank's $40 Billion OpenAI Bet Raises Questions About Board Power and Secrecy

SoftBank became OpenAI's largest outside investor with a $40 billion stake completed by year-end 2025. Yet the company hasn't disclosed what influence this buys—board seats, special voting rights, or other perks. For anyone tracking AI investments, that silence matters: it's hard to know how much real control SoftBank holds over a company still hungry for cash.