PYMNTS Daily Data Dive: Apple’s Big Investment

Tech giant Apple has been in talks to invest in a fund being put together by SoftBank Group, the Japanese telecom and banking firm. Named the SoftBank Vision Fund, it could be as large as $100 billion. SoftBank said it could also tie up with the Public Investment Fund of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Of the $100 billion target, those two partners would chip in $70 billion through the next five years and look for $30 billion to come from outside investors. The discussions have centered around an Apple stake that could hit $1 billion, with unnamed sources stating that nothing concrete has been decided.

SoftBank is looking to branch out into disruptive technologies ranging from AI to connected devices that make up the Internet of Things. Apple and SoftBank have a relationship that dates back to 2008 when the companies banded together to promote the latter as Apple’s exclusive iPhone reseller in Japan.

The fund could debut as early as next year with $50 billion earmarked to invest within the United States. Founder Masayoshi Son met with President-Elect Donald Trump earlier this month and pledged to create 50,000 new jobs here through asset deployment.

Here are the numbers:

$100 billion | Potential value of the future SoftBank Vision Fund

$70 billion | Combined amount Apple and the Public Investment Fund of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia would chip in in the next five years

$30 billion | Additional amount to come from outside investors

$1 billion | Unconfirmed amount of Apple stake

2008 | Year Apple and SoftBank first banded together

50,000 | Number of jobs SoftBank Founder told President-Elect Trump he would create in the U.S.

$50 billion | Amount earmarked by the SoftBank Vision Fund to invest in the U.S.