SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son has made a $60 billion bet on OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman – a commitment that has some insiders worried.

On today’s Big Take Asia Podcast, host K. Oanh Ha speaks with Bloomberg’s Min-Jeong Lee about how Son became captivated by Altman and what’s at stake for his reputation – and the company – as the AI race intensifies.

We have a special Bloomberg subscription offer for podcast listeners at Bloomberg.com/podcastoffer.

Read more: SoftBank Founder’s Starstruck Bet on OpenAI Raises Concern

Watch, from Originals: The Troubled Saga of Masa Son's $100 Billion Fund

SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son has made a $60 billion bet on OpenAI and its CEO Sam Altman &ndash; a commitment that has some insiders worried.
On today&rsquo;s Big Take Asia Podcast, host K. Oanh Ha speaks with Bloomberg&rsquo;s Min-Jeong Lee about how Son became captivated by Altman and what&rsquo;s at stake for his reputation &ndash; and the company &ndash; as the AI race intensifies.
We have a special Bloomberg subscription offer for podcast listeners at<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/subscriptions/podcasts"> Bloomberg.com/podcastoffer.</a>
Read more: <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2026-05-19/softbank-founder-son-s-devotion-to-openai-s-altman-spooks-some-insiders?srnd=homepage-asia">SoftBank Founder&rsquo;s Starstruck Bet on OpenAI Raises Concern</a>
Watch, from Originals: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffcPg6GHLso">The Troubled Saga of Masa Son's $100 Billion Fund</a>

The Big Take from Bloomberg News brings you inside what’s shaping the world's economies with the smartest and most informed business reporters around the world. The context you need on the stories that can move markets. Every afternoon.

The Big Take from Bloomberg News brings you inside what’s shaping the world's economies with the smartest and most informed business reporters around the world. The context you need on the stories that can move markets. Every afternoon.

Big Take

We’re taking The Big Take to Asia. Each week, Bloomberg’s Oanh Ha tells a story from the home of the world's most dynamic economies - and the markets, tycoons and businesses that drive the ever-shifting region.

We’re taking The Big Take to Asia. Each week, Bloomberg’s Oanh Ha tells a story from the home of the world's most dynamic economies - and the markets, tycoons and businesses that drive the ever-shifting region.

Big Take Asia

SoftBank’s $60 Billion OpenAI Bet Sparks Concerns

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/763893c4-2e53-4dd3-98e5-b44f01519e0e/transcript

Trade was one of the most contentious issues heading into the Beijing summit between Presidents Trump and Xi. But while the summit generated “good vibes” between the two, it ended with few clear directives, especially regarding trade and tariffs.

On today’s Big Take podcast, Brendan Murray, who leads Bloomberg’s trade coverage, sits down with host Sarah Holder to discuss the trade takeaways from last week’s Beijing summit. Can China’s constructive strategic stability plan, or a proposed US-China trade council, calm the waters? And where does the relationship stand with the prospect of more deals—and new tariffs—on the horizon?

Read more: Trump-Xi ‘Placeholder’ Summit Leaves Room for Tensions to Reignite


Hosted by Sarah Holder; Produced by Julia Press; Reported by Brendan Murray; Edited by Jeffrey Grocott.

Fact-checking by Rachael Lewis-Krisky and Laura Newcombe; Engineering by Alex Sugiura.

Senior Producer: Naomi Shavin; Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver. Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer.

Trade was one of the most contentious issues heading into the Beijing summit between Presidents Trump and Xi. But while the summit generated &ldquo;good vibes&rdquo; between the two, it ended with few clear directives, especially regarding trade and tariffs.
On today&rsquo;s Big Take podcast, Brendan Murray, who leads Bloomberg&rsquo;s trade coverage, sits down with host Sarah Holder to discuss the trade takeaways from last week&rsquo;s Beijing summit. Can China&rsquo;s constructive strategic stability plan, or a proposed US-China trade council, calm the waters? And where does the relationship stand with the prospect of more deals&mdash;and new tariffs&mdash;on the horizon?
Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2026-05-18/trump-xi-summit-in-beijing">Trump-Xi &lsquo;Placeholder&rsquo; Summit Leaves Room for Tensions to Reignite </a>
Hosted by Sarah Holder; Produced by Julia Press; Reported by Brendan Murray; Edited by Jeffrey Grocott.
Fact-checking by Rachael Lewis-Krisky and Laura Newcombe; Engineering by Alex Sugiura.
Senior Producer: Naomi Shavin; Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver. Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer.

The US-China Summit's Trade Hangover

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/e91011cd-9e7c-4876-ac4d-b44e01522bc6/transcript

Amazon is everywhere, from your doorstep to outer space. So, what is the current state of the Everything Store? This week on Everybody's Business, hosts Max Chafkin and Stacey Vanek Smith look at the company that is more utility than retailer with Bloomberg Businessweek editor-in-chief Brad Stone. Plus, have you wondered why the stock market has been doing so well even though lots of things don't seem to be going great at home or abroad? Author and economic commentator Kyla Scanlon explains why the record highs keep coming even as oil prices double and the job market is at a standstill. And: a special guest gives us an underrated story that makes the case for booing.

Amazon is everywhere, from your doorstep to outer space. So, what is the current state of the Everything Store? This week on Everybody's Business, hosts Max Chafkin and Stacey Vanek Smith look at the company that is more utility than retailer with Bloomberg Businessweek editor-in-chief Brad Stone. Plus, have you wondered why the stock market has been doing so well even though lots of things don't seem to be going great at home or abroad? Author and economic commentator Kyla Scanlon explains why the record highs keep coming even as oil prices double and the job market is at a standstill. And: a special guest gives us an underrated story that makes the case for booing.

Weekend Listen: A Stock Market of Amazonian Proportions

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/dee9addb-1cad-410e-86e7-b44d01305e95/transcript

Tensions between the US and China have deepened since the last time a US president traveled to Beijing for a summit, in 2017. President Trump’s return to China, in a swirl of dinners and festivities, generated positive optics for host and guest alike, but brought less apparent progress on some of the biggest bilateral sticking points, from tariffs and trade to US arms sales to Taiwan.

On today’s Big Take podcast, Big Take Asia host K. Oanh Ha talks to Co-head for Asia John Liu and White House Correspondent Jeff Mason, who were both on the ground in Beijing, about the summit’s deals, sticking points and unfinished business.

Read more: 
Bloomberg’s Trump-Xi Summit Page
Winners and Losers From Trump and Xi’s Beijing Summit Talks

We have a special Bloomberg subscription offer for podcast listeners at Bloomberg.com/podcastoffer.

Hosted by K. Oanh Ha; Produced by Yang Yang and Rachael Lewis-Krisky; Reported by Jeff Mason and John Liu; Edited by Jeffrey Grocott.

Fact-checking by Laura Newcombe; Engineering by Alex Sugiura.

Senior Producer: Naomi Shavin; Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver. Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer.

Tensions between the US and China have deepened since the last time a US president traveled to Beijing for a summit, in 2017. President Trump&rsquo;s return to China, in a swirl of dinners and festivities, generated positive optics for host and guest alike, but brought less apparent progress on some of the biggest bilateral sticking points, from tariffs and trade to US arms sales to Taiwan.
On today&rsquo;s Big Take podcast, Big Take Asia host K. Oanh Ha talks to Co-head for Asia John Liu and White House Correspondent Jeff Mason, who were both on the ground in Beijing, about the summit&rsquo;s deals, sticking points and unfinished business.
Read more:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/latest/trump-xi-relationship?itm_source=record&amp;itm_campaign=Trump-Xi_Summit&amp;itm_content=title">Bloomberg&rsquo;s Trump-Xi Summit Page</a></li>
<li aria-level="1"><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-05-15/winners-and-losers-from-trump-and-xi-s-two-day-beijing-summit">Winners and Losers From Trump and Xi&rsquo;s Beijing Summit Talks</a></li>
</ul>
We have a special Bloomberg subscription offer for podcast listeners at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/subscriptions/podcasts">Bloomberg.com/podcastoffer.</a>
Hosted by K. Oanh Ha; Produced by Yang Yang and Rachael Lewis-Krisky; Reported by Jeff Mason and John Liu; Edited by Jeffrey Grocott.
Fact-checking by Laura Newcombe; Engineering by Alex Sugiura.
Senior Producer: Naomi Shavin; Deputy Executive Producer: Julia Weaver. Executive Producer: Nicole Beemsterboer.

The Biggest Takeaways from the Trump-Xi Summit

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/ee53a7e1-5a07-466c-be30-b44b015a68fc/transcript

SoftBank’s $60 Billion OpenAI Bet Sparks Concerns

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