Qualcomm CEO Amon says company would be interested in buying Arm stake
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Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) Chief Executive Cristiano Amon said that the San Diego-based chipmaker would be, along with its rivals, interested in buying a stake in British chip designer Arm, to maintain Arm's neutrality.
In an interview with the Financial Times, Amon said that Arm, currently owned by Japanese conglomerate SoftBank (OTCPK:SFTBY), is a "very important asset," while adding that the design company is "going to be essential to the development of our industry."
In addition to a potential Qualcomm (QCOM) stake in Arm, it's possible that several chip companies could purchase Arm if the group was "big enough."
âYouâd need to have many companies participating so they have a net effect that Arm is independent,â he added.
Earlier this month, SoftBank (OTCPK:SFTBY) Chairman Masayoshi Son confirmed the Japanese conglomerate would keep a majority stake in Arm following its initial public offering. 
The listing could occur in short order, but SoftBank (OTCPK:SFTBY) may wait if stock markets stay volatile, as they have been in recent months.
Son and SoftBank previously said the plan was to take Arm public by the end of the company's fiscal year in March 2023 after the deal to sell Arm to Nvidia (NVDA) for $40 billion fell through.
SoftBank (OTCPK:SFTBY) had previously said Arm would be listed in New York on the Nasdaq, but some in the U.K., Arm's home country, including Prime Minister Boris Johnson, have lobbied for it to be listed in London.
Amon's comments about Arm are just the latest example of the importance Arm plays for the semiconductor industry.
In February, Intel (INTC) Chief Executive Pat Gelsinger said Intel would be open to joining a group to buy Arm, while one month later Nvidia's (NVDA) Huang called Arm a "one of a kind asset."
Earlier this month, it was reported that the San Diego-based Qualcomm (QCOM) is looking into buying Israeli-based Cellwize for $300 million.