SoftBank Weighs Buying Allied Universal in Deal Near $30B With Debt

SoftBank Group Corp. is considering an acquisition of Allied Universal, the largest security services company in the US, in a potential transaction that could give the closely held firm an equity value of as much as $18B, according to people familiar with the private deliberations. Factoring in Allied Universal's approximately $12B of publicly traded debt across loans and bonds, the total deal value could reach close to $30B, though talks remain preliminary and no final decisions on price or structure have been made. Following the report and amid a broader market selloff, SoftBank's American depositary receipts dropped as much as 9.9% to a session low of $14.72 in New York. SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son views security services—including one-time events like concerts, data center developments, and subway contracts—as a proving ground to deploy AI-powered robots from his portfolio companies to eventually replace some human security staff, even though sources noted humanoid security technology isn't ready yet. The potential buyout builds on SoftBank's recent AI and robotics expansion, which includes a $65B commitment with OpenAI, the $5.4B acquisition of ABB Ltd.'s industrial robots unit, a $3B purchase of DigitalBridge Group Inc., and the consolidation of about 20 robotics investments into holding company Robo HD. "While Security Professionals will always be needed for strategic decision-making, situational analysis, and security response, machines excel at monotonous, computationally heavy, and sometimes hazardous or difficult-to-reach work," — Allied Universal website statement.