SoftBank needs a Plan B. One year on, prospects for its planned $54bn sale of UK chip designer Arm to Nvidia are souring. Antitrust watchdogs are circling. The European Commission is set to launch a formal competition probe while the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority has dismissed Nvidia’s efforts as insufficient. China, where Arm has its own problems with a rogue joint venture partner, is likely to join the chorus.
The deal is far from dead. A handful of Arm clients have rallied round Nvidia. South Korea’s Samsung provides precedent for vertical integration without compromising access to third party clients. Contractual remedies may save the day.
But SoftBank would be doing a disservice to shareholders if it did not pursue other options. The $1.25bn break fee is small comfort when a profitable exit has been stymied.