Son Questions Orbital Data Centers, Says Power Is Just 7% of Cost

SoftBank Group founder Masayoshi Son cast doubt on the idea of building AI data centers in orbit at the company's June 23, 2026 shareholder meeting, saying he will instead focus on capacity on the ground. Referring to the space data center concept championed by figures such as Elon Musk, Son asked "What's the point?" and noted that the cheaper electricity often cited as the main advantage of going to space accounts for just 7% of overall data center operating costs. The remaining 93% goes to chips and other hardware, in his view leaving little justification for the investment based on power savings alone.