SoftBank once considered a $100 billion acquisition of Marvell and a merger with Arm.

According to Jintou Data on November 6, sources familiar with the matter revealed that SoftBank Group considered acquiring U.S. chip manufacturer Marvell earlier this year. If the deal had gone through, it would have been the largest semiconductor industry merger in history. The report states that SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son has viewed Marvell as a potential target for years, as part of its strategic focus on artificial intelligence hardware.

Several months ago, SoftBank engaged in discussions with Marvell, but the two sides were unable to reach an agreement on the deal terms. Sources also indicated that SoftBank originally planned to merge Marvell with Arm, the chip design company controlled by SoftBank. Although there are currently no substantive negotiations underway, some believe SoftBank may rekindle its interest in the future.

Marvell’s stock has declined 16% this year, with a market value of approximately $80 billion. In contrast, Nvidia, Broadcom, and Arm have all seen significant stock increases this year, with Arm’s current valuation around $170 billion. Some sources suggest that Marvell could also attract other potential buyers.